The Savior
by Awfulwaffel
Summary: Reborn in the year 1960 as the twin to Lily Evans, can Hermione piece together the puzzle that plagues her dreams and make the future brighter? story was somehow deleted, revising chapters. I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

**This story mysteriously disappeared; I don't know what happened to it. I had something like fifty chapters up and it was my very first stab at fanfiction. I did have the first drafts saved on my Ipad so, I'll be editing these chapters heavily. I don't have a beta so if you notice any mistakes…eh, sorry Microsoft word didn't catch them.**

 **Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter, if I did I would be super pissed at Fanfiction writers. Seriously, fanfiction killed my love of the books, I can't even read them anymore without wondering why Ron is being so sensible and thinking Draco is obviously under imperius curse.**

It began when Hermione was only 4 years old, until that point she was just a precocious child, curious about the world. At night her dreams were filled with faces and places she had never seen before. She dreamed of a castle and a lonely girl who shared her name, adventures and magic one could only read about in fairy tales. Her parents believed she had an active imagination, until she threw a tantrum and broke every window in the house.

Hermione knew things, things any regular child should not know. Literature, mathematics, and history were a breeze for her. No one seemed to understand her, except her sisters of course. There were never 3 sisters who loved each other more; the Evans girls looked out for one another. Petunia learned of Hermione's gift when she was 7, she forbade her sisters from telling anyone outside their family about the strange occurrences. She, in all her seven years of knowledge, just knew if anyone found out they would take her sister away. Lock them up never to be seen again and she couldn't let that happen her little sisters. To emphasize her point her she told them horrible stories of asylums and hospitals that would keep them in padded room cells.

Lily, while quite bright for her age, was never a match for her twin's genius. It never made her love her any less; it still terrified her when she would catch glimpses of those nightmares in her sister's mind. At school, the twins were ostracized because of Hermione's knowledge and ability to make things _just happen._ They saw Lily as the weak twin so they would try to bully her and steal her things. Hermione couldn't let that stand so she would change their hair color or make them trip to protect her sister. It wasn't until the twins when 8 that Lily was able to do the same strange things as her sister when she was particularly upset.

It was on the twins tenth birthday that they would finally meet someone just like them. Hermione had to pull Lily from the cocoon of blankets that morning yelling excitedly that it was their birthday and Tuney promised to bring them to park and do their hair. There were few differences in the twins, the main was their hair. While Lily had bright flaming red hair her sister's was a dark red. They both had almond shaped emerald eyes, upturned button noses, and a smattering of freckles along the bridge of their noses.

"Lils it's time to go!" Hermione cried as she _finally_ pulled her sister from the bed and she landed on the floor with a soft thump.

"Really Mya? Was that necessary?!" Lily cried out dramatically as she rubbed her backside with a pout.

"Are you girls coming? I have a surprise for you!" Petunia's voice carried up the stairs.

The girls shared an excited smile before they rushed down the stairs to find their sister with two small boxes in her hands. With a large grin she held her hands out to the birthday girls. They eagerly ripped them open to find matching silver lockets with three stones, a sapphire and two emeralds. Looking up at their older sister, Petunia pulled an identical locket from beneath her shirt. Upon closer inspection the backs were engraved with _'deirfiúracha go deo'_ , meaning 'sisters forever'. Inside was a picture of the three of them, Petunia in the middle, an arm around either twin. The girls embraced each other fiercely, thanking their older sister for such an amazing gift.

"If you girls hurry up, we can stop by Sammy's on the way to the park, get you get some chips or cakes." Petunia promised with conspiring wink.

Twenty five minutes later the girls found themselves on the swings, laughing as Lily dribbled brown sauce all over her new trainers. Checking to make sure no one was around; Hermione waved a hand, removing the stain. Petunia pursed her lips, worrying some may see but kept quiet since it was their birthday.

"Let's fly Mya!" Lily cried out as they swung higher, her hair cascading out behind her.

"You know you can't do that! Someone might see!" Petunia whispered loudly, looking to between her sisters on either side of her.

The twins merely smiled at Petunia before grabbing her by the hands and pulling her along with them. They floated up in the air for a few moments before slowly gliding to the ground ten feet away from the swings. Petunia loved the feeling of belonging with her sisters, especially since she didn't appear to have the same abilities as her twin sisters. Torn between wanting thrash them within an inch of their lives and smacking them for their cheekiness, she pulled them into a hug. Suddenly, movement in the corner of Petunia's eye caught her attention; she whirled around, pushing the girls behind her.

"If I yell, run straight home and don't let anyone in the house without the password, understand?" Petunia hissed to the young girls behind her while she kept her eyes focused on the shrubs. The girls nodded hesitantly, eyes wide with fear as they looked around their sister. "Oi! You perves in the bushes!? Come out or I'm phoning the police"

The trio was surprised when a small boy fell from the bushes with red cheeks. He looked like he was wearing a woman's silk blouse and pants far too big for him. The girls looked him over wearily, waiting for him to speak first. He pushed his long inky black hair out of his eyes and looked them over nervously.

"I'm not a pervert...I just didn't know there were any other witches in the area." He muttered shyly, lowering his gaze to his scuffed trainers.

"Witches!? Who the hell are you to call me and my sisters witches?!" Petunia shrieked backing up from the rude boy. Lily peaked around her sister and glared at him with her hands on her narrow hips.

"Witches? That's not very nice." She hissed furiously.

"What? How is not nice? It's what you are and I'm a wizard!" The young boy's skinny chest puffed out with pride as he grinned smugly.

"You're a nutter! Let's go home, Tuney, Lils?" Hermione looked the boy over, feeling like his obsidian eyes looked very familiar but she shrugged it off.

"You'll see! When you get your Hogwarts letters, you'll see I'm not lying!" He called out to their retreating backs, making the girls freeze in their determined strides and look to Hermione with wide eyes. There were many nights that they stayed up late talking about the huge castle, three headed dogs, and flying broomsticks. They always wondered if it actually existed and here was a boy who seemed to know what was in her dreams. Hermione spun on the ball of her foot, gaping at the boy, her emerald eyes wide with wonder.

"How do you know about Hogwarts?" Hermione asked softly, hoping it wasn't an elaborate joke.

"I told you, I'm a wizard and next year I'll get a letter and I'll be off to study magic in a castle in Scotland!" He spoke slowly as there was something wrong with her for not knowing, as if it were common knowledge. Hermione took a tentative step forward, shadowed closely by her sisters

"Tell me more." She demanded urgently, her hands instinctively reaching out to her sisters for support. The boy smiled widely, his black eyes glittering as he took a step forward.


	2. Chapter 2

**So, when I went to upload another chapter I found that this story was missing. I'm not starting over, the story will still be the same. I'll be fixing up some errors, maybe filling some holes...fixing the spelling of tomes...sorry guys.**

"My name is Severus Snape, shouldn't you already be at school?" He tilted his head as he looked Petunia over

"It's Saturday, why would I be in school on a Saturday?" She replied, regarding the boy with disdain.

"No, I mean...shouldn't you already be in hogwarts. What are you? Fourth year?" Severus guessed

"How about you tell us more about this Hogwarts?" Hermione cut in before Petunia could reply.

"Why don't you know? You have her...she should be able to tell you all about transfiguration and charms...what can I answer that she can't?" Severus seemed perplexed, used to being ignored. Having never been asked for his opinion or input, he felt suspicious.

"Tuney doesn't go to Hogwarts, she goes to the private college..." Lily trailed off under the Petunia's glare.

"So you're a muggle!?" Severus took a step back, "I saw you fly, you can't be a muggle." His face scrunched up in disgust.

"What's a muggle?" Lily seemed to miss The grimace on Severus's face.

"A non magical person, someone with no ties to the magical world. A mundane if you will" Hermione's eyes widened, unsure of where that information came from.

"It sounds rather rude, doesn't it? Why call us a different name when we are the so called normal ones? We are the majority after all" Petunia sniffed

"I dunno, it's just what you are called...my dads a muggle, my mums a witch." Pausing, he looked up to see the three of them hanging on his every word. "So..on your 11th birthday, you will get a letter to attend hogwarts, a professor should come to explain everything to you and take you to diagon alley to get your supplies" Severus explained patiently, seeing the conversation getting away from him.

"Can we go to diagonal alley now? We could get books to explain more about the wizarding world, right?" Lily exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet

"Well, we would need a wand and...it would seem odd for three ten year olds a muggle to be trying to access the barrier.." Severus told her quietly

"But, I need to know more about this...if they aren't the only ones, than the doctors can't take them away, right?" Petunia looked imploringly at the boy

"I know where my dad keeps my mums wand, perhaps, you could pretend to be a witch? We would have to go to during the week, while my parents are working. How about on Monday? We could meet here when you normally go to school?" Severus seemed to be getting excited about getting out into the wizarding world.

"That would work...I have enough birthday money saved up. What's about you girls? Ready to break the piggies?" Petunia asked the twins

"Oh yes, together we should have more than enough, I think we have roughly 500 pounds together. Will that be enough? Tuney is saving up for her car, I would hate to use her funds if possible?" Hermione looked to Severus

"It would be about 25 to 50 galleons, that should be more than enough to get a few books and all your supplies...but I'm not sure what exactly the supplies are. They give you a list with your letter. Maybe we could even get your wands! Normally you get them when you're 11 but what's a bit early, right?" Severus's eyes lit up like it was his birthday.

"Alright, we we will be here half seven on Monday, don't be late" Petunia trend on her heel, pulling the girls with them.

"Bye Sev!" The twins called out to him. He waved back, suddenly, the task before him seemed much more daunting.

It had taken the entire day on Sunday but Severus was able to find four cloaks, 1set of robes he hoped would fit Petunia, and his mothers wand. Magic was strictly forbidden in his house, if his father found out his mother kept so much of her school things, he shuddered at the thought. He paced near the bushes he met the girls just 2 days prior. He smiled thinking about the pretty, nice girls he would spend the day with. Maybe, they could be his friends? His mother told him stories about her friends at school, her adventures of learning about magic.

"Just make sure you stick close to me at all times, I'm still not sure about this..." Petunia was the first to round the corner, biting her bottom lip nervously

"But Tuney! There are more people like us! We won't be locked away, they can't take us from you now. You can help us learn all about magic and magic creatures and oh just wait till we see it! I bet it will all be so magical!" Lily was bouncing with excitement, pushing her sister along. Hermione clutched her sisters hands tightly,wondering if other people had dreams like she did. Maybe, she wasn't the only one who knew the things she did? Could she make friends?

" I brought you some things to help us blend in" Severus pulled the bundle out for them. "Each of us get a cloak, the robes are for Petunia..here's my mums wand.."

Petunia pulled up the robes and cloak with a huff. They smelled like they had been in storage for decades. She pulled perfume from her purse and started spraying down hers and her sisters cloaks, just barely masking the musk. When she was finished pulling on the robes, she looked herself over in the compact mirror.

"I look ridiculous! I can't be seen like this, someone at school may see." Petunia hurriedly pulled up the hood on her cloak looking around to make sure there was no one who could recognize her. Turning to her sisters she pulled the hoods up as well, making sure to tuck their hair and hide their faces. "Maybe we should have waited...we will look awfully silly on the bus like this."

"I was able to find a few galleons and knuts at the bottom of one of my mums old trunks. It should be enough to take the knight bus." Severus replied calmly, trying not to take offense to the girl insulting his mothers robes, they were the best quality he could find.

"What's the knight bus?" Lily canted her head to the side, her face a shadow beneath her hood.

"Here, give me the wand, and we will get to the road. It's magical transportation. Big triple decker. Get you anywhere you want to go...fast" Severus murmured as they made their way to road. He lifted the wand and shot sparks. Suddenly there was a booming bang and there, in front of them was a purple triple decker bus. A very short young woman stepped down in front of them, she wore pink robes and her squat face made her resemble a a toad

"Hem hem, my name is Dolly and welcome to the knight bus, where to?" Her voice was high pitched and girly

"The leaky" Severus replied roughly, making his voice sound deeper, ushering the girls up the stairs quickly.

"1 galleon 3 sickles" she held her hand out to Petunia but Severus shoved the coins in her hands roughly, barely sparing her a glance. The girls hurried up the stairs to the very top, Severus followed, trying to act as normal as possible.

"Petunia, can you speak any other languages?" Severus asked quietly as the bus gave a shuddering jump, making the girls fall to the floor. Petunia had an arm around each girl, hauling them back to their seat. She gave a scathing look to Severus before replying.

"Ofcourse, I know French, Latin, and Italian. Our parents hired private tutors." She sniffed, looking her sisters over for any injuries.

"Well, it may be best if you just rattle off in French, claim you are visiting...we really don't want to explain why a muggle and two muggleborns are running around diagon alley before they get their letters." Severus explained quietly, looking around to make sure they weren't being watched

"Why?" Lily asked

"Statue of secrecy. It's to hide us from the muggles...don't want to start up the witch hunts again, you know?" Severus canted his head. The bus slammed to a stop suddenly and he reached out to hold onto the girls.

"Leaky cauldron" The voice spoke clearly, they jumped from their seats and rushed down the steps, past the squat witch. The woman's eyes narrowed as she regarded them. Once they were on the sidewalk the witch sniffed, slamming the doors closed before the bus was gone before their very eyes.

"Come one" Severus ushered them to a dingy pub, it was dark and crowded. The barkeep looked up and smiled a cooked grin and the new comers.

"Fancy a drink?" He looked them over, used to dodgy clients but never such short dodgy clients.

"No, thanks on our way to the alley." Severus replied gruffly, pulling the girls behind him. He pulled the wand from Petunia's pocket and started tapping bricks. When the arch way opened, their breath was caught in their throats. It was magnificent, stalls and brightly colored shops lined the alley. People in all sorts of loud and ridiculous robes milled about the streets withe packages and animals. Severus ducked his head down and lead them through the throngs of people, heading to the big marble monstrosity called 'Gringotts'.

Upon entering the building, Petunia seemed to freeze in terror, lily just started to open her mouth to loudly ask what the creatures were when Hermione's hand slapped over her mouth. She shook her head at her twin before standing tall and marching to the nearest teller. The goblin looked her over, his lips curling with malice.

"Good morning, goblin teller. We are here to exchange currencies at your convenience." Hermione then bowed, her eyes never leaving the goblin. She had a tight smile on her face, never showing her teeth. Severus looked nervous, this was not how wizards handles goblin relations. The goblin looked her over once before he held out his hand to the small female.

Hermione pulled out a purse with all the money she and her twin had saved, when the goblin grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer. The goblin was quick, dropping the purse on the counter, he pulled a small silver dagger from thin air and pierced her skin, dripping 4 drops of blood onto a piece of paper before letting her go. She looked down at her hand to see the wound had already closed, seeing her sisters eyes were wide with terror. Showing them that the wound healed did little to calm their nerves, Severus was still wearily watching over the goblin teller as he wordlessly called another goblin to his side. The goblin looked Hermione over with calculating eyes before disappearing behind the door.

"Well, all seems to be in order. Here are your galleons..." The teller thrust the purse into her hand before leaning forward, never breaking eye contact, "await our owl, we have much to discuss"

Hermione nodded before turning on her heal and walking from the bank. Her sister and Severus seemed to broken from the stupor at the same time and rushed after her. Lilly's eyes were filled with questions, Petunia seemed to be regretting coming along and Severus was watching her Hermione wearily.

"I'm not sure what's going on...I think we may need some information on goblins, don't you?" Hermione asked them nervously.

"Alright, so where do we get these books?" Lily asked, pushing aside the goblins for now.

"Flourish and blotts, what kinds of books should we get?" Severus replied

"Well, perhaps we should split up? Then we can grab some lunch, look around, then get our wands before we head home?" Hermione asked innocently

"Fat chance Mya, I'm not letting you out of my sight." Petunia grabbed her sisters hands and pulled them along to flourish and blotts

"Well, I can go grab all the basic books if you guys want to look at some other things?" Severus offered quietly. The girls nodded and split off.

While Petunia and lily seemed to want to explore everything, Hermione seemed to just instinctively know which books she wanted and needed. She had stacked both her sisters with atleast 15 books each before Petunia stopped her.

"Myah, we don't need to buy out the store today. We can always come back and we still need to get your wands..." Petunia told her gently. Hermione looked over the books she had chosen and tried to weed some the more advance magics out. She did keep some on herbology, in hopes Petunia would like them. When they reached the register, they acquired 35 books in total, ranging from the basic and introductory magic to social customs, even some obscure mind magic called occlumency.


	3. Chapter 3

As they enjoyed their lunch, the four were watching people along the alley. The girls, trying to get their fill of this new world, Severus seemed to retreat back into himself, reading a large tome. Lily had to pry the book from his hands, waving excitedly that it was time to get their wands.

Ollivanders was not what they expected, instead it was a cramped store with every surface covered with boxes. A short man was behind the counter, his milky eyes seemed too large for his head because of his thick glasses. He seemed to be studying them closely before flicking his wand to the door and drawing the shades down.

"Little young, aren't you?" He wheezed. Severus stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"We are moving to France and wanted to procure our wands before we left. We know that your wands are the best in the world" he told the stooped old man silkily.

"France you say? Well, that's too bad, I'm sure slytherin would have suited you just fine." The man smirked at Severus's incredulous face.

"My name is Mya, this is my sister Lila, my brother Sev, our sister already has her wand. So we would like ours today please." Hermione pushed her hood back and peered at the old man curiously.

"Of course dear, now let's see wand arms out" three tape measures came from behind the desk. As they took their measurements, even their nostrils, the old man seemed to be pulling boxes from the shelves. More boxes then necessary, really, as they lost sight of the old man behind the mountain.

"You young man, are first..." He trailed off pulling wands from boxes to get some exciting results. Varying from the walls becoming furry to the window shattering inward. Finally, after 6 attempts, he found one that seemed to agree with Severus. 13 1/12 inches, willow, unicorn hair.

"You next..." He pointed a twisted finger at lily. Petunia gave her an encouraging push as she picked up her first wand, it immediately turned Severus's hair blonde. Stifling her giggles, she chose another and a wash of warm air covered them. "Ahh very nice 10 inches, Phoenix feather, chocobolo...unusual combination. Very good for charms work, my dear." Hermione stepped forward, anxious to have her own wand.

It didn't seem to be an easy feat like her sister, 17 Phoenix feather wands later, the old man shook his head. Mumbling under his breath, he tried a new core to have the same results, nothing. Hermione was getting nervous, none of the wands had any reaction to her touch.

"Does this mean I'm not a witch?" She whispered, her mind reeling. If she wasn't a witch, what was she? A bigger freak than she had first thought, obviously. Ollivander shook his head ruefully.

"Hold out your hand, now call your wand. It's not typical but maybe...and without trying every wand here...I'm not sure what else to try..." Ollivander seemed unsure of himself for the first time.

Hermione closed her eyes tightly and try to pull with that light inside her. Suddenly there was a thump. She opened her eyes just in time to see a red wand come flying from the back, breaking through a closed door. She caught it deftly in her small hand and smiled. Blue sparks shots from the top like fireworks and she felt warmth start at her hand all the way to her heart.

"Well, that was unexpected..." Ollivander mumbled more to himself. "That is a very old wand you have there, older than my family has been making wands actually...12 1/2 inches, bois de rose, threstal feather. Powerful wand, I've tried to recreate the combination but it never seemed to work like this one...well dear that will be 15 galleons and 4 knuts."

"Wrist holsters, please" Hermione said quietly, a far away look in her eye. Ollivander's eyebrows disappeared to his hair line and pulled 3 from beneath the register.

"23 galleons, these will grow with you. Invisible, blocks all attempts to summon and disarm...speak the phrase and it will release into your hands." The old man had become unnerved suddenly and quickly rushed them from the shop. Closing for the day early. He flooed to Hogs Head, needing a strong drink.

"That guy wasn't weird at all" Petunia stated sarcastically as the door practically slammed shut on her. "What do you think the goblins meant by wait for their owl? Is everyone this weird in the magical world? You know I think we should get out of here now. Enough freaky shite for one day"

The twins and Severus strapped their new wands to their wrists and headed back to the leaky cauldron, mulling over the day's events. Severus had his own wand, he just needed a way to keep it away from his father. If he found out that he had left to go the magic world for the day, it would mean Severus wouldn't be able to go out in public for at least a fortnight. Hermione flicked her wrist and her red wand was in her hand. With a quick wave the knight bus was summoned.

The squat witch hopped out and looked them over before ushering them inside, snatching their money quickly. Her beady eyes roamed over Petunia, her lip curling with disdain. It was as if her very existence insulted her. From her honey blonde hair that hung in silky waves to her waist to her brilliant sapphire eyes. She was everything Dolly ever wanted to be and she hated Petunia on sight for to it.

Petunia looked at her watch and cursed quietly under her breath. Their parents would be home soon, should they tell them that the twins were witches? They would find out next year anyway, maybe they should wait until they understood more about this world her sisters seemed to belong in. That brought a frown to her face, would her sisters leave her? Forget about her? She couldn't do magic, she couldn't run off to the castle and keep them safe anymore. For the past 6 years that had been her job, make sure no one saw the things Mya and Lila could do...now there were people who not only could see but do it with them.

Hermione turned to her sister with a smile and pulled herself closer to Petunia. Stupid, they wouldn't leave her, not really. They would always be sisters and they would be amazing witches, right?


	4. Chapter 4

After hasty goodbyes, the girls rushed to their house, only to groan when they saw bother their parents vehicles in the drive port. Stashing their new purchases in the bushes, Petunia squared her shoulders and entered the house. Their parents were sitting at the kitchen table, the phone sitting between them, anxious looks on their faces.

"Mum, dad, we're home!" Petunia called. The adults immediately rushed to the girls, hugging them, checking them for injuries. Upon seeing their daughters unharmed their faces instantly changed from ones of worry to fury.

"Where have you been?!" Their mother shrieked, her hands on Petunias arms, in an almost vise like grip.

"We...er wanted to spend the day in London together...I'm sorry if we worried you. It was a girls day?" Petunia cringed as her father rounded on her

"Girls day!? Girls day!?" He bellowed. "Do you have any idea how worried we have been? Out of our minds all day. We got a call at half nine this morning saying our daughters were not in school. We come home to our daughters gone, your saving gone. We thought you ran away! You were kidnapped! But, oh no! our daughters just skived school to have a girls day. Well I hope it was worth it. You all are grounded! Two months. Starting now."

"I'm sorry daddy! I had a really bad dream last night! It was awful, Tuney just wanted me to feel better. I..I.. I had a dream something would happen to Lila and Tuney if we went to school today! I'm so sorry!" Hermione rushed to her father, her cheeks already stained with tears, her breath ragged with hiccups. Her sisters nodded emphatically behind her.

Their parents knew of her dreams, didn't understand them, but knew that sometimes she would wake upset some mornings. Their faces softened as they regarded her closely.

"You could have told us sweetness, you know we would have been here for you. I would have taken you to London. For your girls day." Her mother smoothed her hair gently

"I'll do that, I promise. I just didn't want to worry you and that's exactly what I did. I'm so sorry...I'm a horrible daughter. Could you ever forgive me for making you worry so?" Hermione turned her red puffy eyes to her parents and their anger melted completely.

"Poppet, I understand your need to just be with your sisters sometimes, completely. Of course we forgive you, just please let us know when something like this happens again okay?" Her father wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her forehead lightly. "Well, I think we all have had a long day, why don't you girls go get cleaned up. It smells like you dumped all Petunia's perfume on you girls."

The girls quickly disappeared up the stairs to the attic, which had been renovated into an entertainment room, with squashy chairs and the vinyl table top. Once the door was closed behind them, lily and Petunia turned on Hermione, clapping slowly. Hermione gave an exaggerated bow and twirl, cracking a smile.

"I must say Mya,that was extraordinary. Best acting I've seen outside the silver screen." Petunia giggled and pulled the girls into a hug. "So, you think we're still grounded?"

"Pfft, definitely not, did you see daddy's face?" Lily chuckled and bumped her hip into Hermione's.

"It won't work again but at least now we can go through those books with Sev. Oh, I wish we didn't have to go to school tomorrow, we could sit up here and read all those books!" Hermione exclaimed, dreamily.

"You're nutters! Not all of us are geniuses you know! We need school! Without it how would we know what more we need to learn!? Anarchy, woman! That is what you're asking for with statements like that!" Lily raged, as an academic, there was nowhere she felt more at home outside her sisters than a classroom. Petunia rolled her eyes.

"She's right, I fully intend on being valedictorian. Skiving school will not help with that, now will it? You girls go hop in the showers, I'll sneak the books up here. So, are we agreed...we'll tell mum and dad when we know more about this magic world or on your birthday next year?" Petunia asked nervously. She was not against keeping secrets from her parents but lying everyday could get tiring.

"What would we tell them? 'Oh by the way mum, you know how two of your daughters are freaks? Well, there's a whole hidden world you can't see. Here, look at these books with moving pictures in them' yeah, that will go over well. I think we should let them have one more year of having normal children.," Hermione replied sarcastically. "If we need to, we have wands now. We don't need to ditch school to go back."

"You're not freaks! You're special! We'll talk more later. Go take a shower, wise arse" Petunia swatted her bum with a low chuckle. The twins grinned before jumping on Petunia, attacking her in tandem with kisses and hugs.


	5. Chapter 5

After dinner the girls headed up to the attic to review their purchases and play with their new wands. Petunia tried out both girls wands, only to be disappointed when nothing happened. There was a sudden tap tap on the window that drew the girls from their books.

"Well, I guess this is what they meant by 'await our owl?" Petunia said scathingly as she open the window for the regal black bird to swoop down on Hermione. It nipped her ear as it held its leg out to her expectantly. Hermione ripped the seal open quickly to read, her sister looking over her shoulders.

Dear Miss Evans,

It appears your blood test came back with unclaimed inheritances. We at Gringotts respect our clients privacy and wish a private meeting with you as soon as possible. Any time you are available, please hold your thumb on the crest at the bottom of the this letter, it will take you directly to my office.

Thank you

May your enemies cry blood at your feet and your gold flow over.

Ragnock

Dept. management

"So again I ask, is everyone in the magical world weird or is it just me?" Petunia asked as she read the letter over for the third time. "What is this about enemies crying blood? Euch...maybe we should read that book on goblin relations before we take this?"

"I think that would be best, why did he test your blood and not ours? That can't be standard procedure...just stabbing people in line to exchange money?" Lily asked, her face screwed up in disgust. "Well, better you than me, dear sister, I would have fainted straight away. Out cold at the sight blood."

"This won't take me alone will it?" Hermione absently stroke the regal bird, feeding it some of her crisps before taking off through the window, "I mean it's my blood so...if I have these inheritances, then so would you guys, right? I really don't feel comfortable going alone...what if they knew I was odd?"

"Have you seen the way those wizards and goblins were dressed?! You are not the odd one, I promise" Petunia smiled at her reassuringly "maybe to be safe we should tie ourselves together? Make sure they can't take you alone?"

"Oh yes, I have the feeling goblins love surprises, don't you?" Lily giggled as she stuffed the letter under the book shelf. "Don't worry Mya, there is no way you are going without us!"

"So what do you think, I've spent the whole day reading about goblin culture, Lily read the book on rebellions and you finished the book on etiquette, right?" Petunia asked Hermione as she was trying the wrists together with silk scarves.

"I'm still fuzzy on a few uprisings but as long as they don't test us on battle techniques, I think we should be okay." Lily laughed as she finished securing the scarf tying her ankle to Hermione's.

"Grab onto the paper, just to be safe, okay" Hermione told them as they huddled around. They pressed her thumb the seal the bottom of the page, the page turned blue. Suddenly they all felt like they were being yanked from behind their navels and spun violently. Landing in a heap on a stone floor, Hermione was the first to get her bearings, pushing down the feeling of nausea. She tried to stand but was impeded by a tangle of limbs and silk. There was a throaty chuckle from behind her.

"Well, that is certainly new." The short goblin was sitting behind a regal gold and marble desk, his eyes studying the human girls with interest.

"Well, we weren't sure which Miss. Evans you wanted so we brought extras just in case" Lily's sarcastic reply was muffled under Petunia's arm. Hermione and Petunia were able to untie their hands first, then their feet. Standing slowly before the goblin, they bowed before pulling Lily up behind them.

"Well met, Director Ragnok. May your enemies skulls be crushed in your wake. You wished to speak with us?" Hermione's back was straight, her eyes never left the goblin in front of her. Her sisters faces turned a little green at her greeting. The goblin actually clapped, his gnarled face twisted into a tight grin.

"Someone has been reading, tell me young ones are you all well versed in etiquette?" His beady eyes roamed over the three young girls standing before him

"No director, I have learned the social etiquette, Petunia learned all she could of your social customs and backround, Lily read more into your history and war lore. We didn't want to keep you waiting long and were unsure of what we may need to know as to not insult you." Hermione replied calmly. The goblins face split into an unholy grin. He motioned the girls to take the seat before him.

"Well, I can't tell you the last time it was actually a pleasure to have witches in my office. Now, Miss. Hermione Evans, I must ask if you wish to do this in private or you wish your sisters to stay" the goblin looked over the other two girls who had thus far remained silent.

"Director, while I appreciate the offer to remove my sisters..they tied themselves to me so I would not be alone. I trust them and shouldn't some of these inheritances go to them as well?" Hermione asked quietly

"Just standard procedure, it appears your blood is linked to the Emrys line, first magical in over 600 years...very powerful. It is not normal procedure to test our customers in the way we did yesterday. However, with your aura and behavior...it's not normal for a muggle to lead children into the bank. It was mostly just curiosity of Gripfang, really. Very well, you are now the owner of vault 2. Just sign this and I'll issue a key" he looked up to see their incredulous faces, "very well, keys"

The girls poured over the paperwork, Petunia would not allow them to sign anything unless she read it first. After fifteen minutes, all papers were signed and the girls had their own golden keys.

"Make sure not to lose them, anyone with that key has full control of your vault and all things inside. It was a pleasure to meet you all, if you like to go your vault, Slanghorn will meet you just down the hall. That letter will take you home once you are done." With that he bowed the girls and returned to his desk, effectively, dismissing them.

The girls hurried from the office, Petunia kept a tight hold on the paper work.

"Well met Mr. Slanghorn. Would you mind accompanying us to our vault?" Hermione bowed to the goblin quickly, her sisters quickly copying her actions.

"This way" the goblin was much faster than to be believed as he lead them through narrow corridors and down a rickety flights of stairs. When they reached the carts, the girls clung to each other as it took off at break neck speed. They passed a dragon, Petunia looked ill but the twins had wide grins on their faces. Stoping abruptly, Petunia threw herself from the cart landing on her hands and knees, practically kissing the stone floor. The twins giggled as they helped their sister up and turned to the goblin. He stroked his gnarled finger down the vault door, symbols lit up and flashed, leaving behind a key hole. Petunia stepped forward and opened the door with her key.

Inside was stuffed mostly with large tomes, there was a fairly large pile of gold. Weapons and armor was strewn haphazardly, along the back wall was a large cabinet with many cubbies and drawers. While Lily and Hermione headed straight for the molding books, Petunia went for the cabinets. The first drawer the pulled open made her jaw drop in shock.

"Holy shite" she whispered almost reverently. Reaching in, she pulled a silver bracelet made to look like two snakes entwined. It had emeralds for eyes and was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Lily and Hermione rushed over and gasped.

"You should wear that Tuney, it would symbolize us!" Lily exclaimed with a grin. " after all we are sneaky like snakes"

Petunia slid the bangle onto her wrist and continued looking, it was mostly journals and old cloaks. Checking her watch she realized they had been gone too long.

"Alright grab what you want, we can come back another time, this is ours after all." Petunia had to push the girls away from bookshelves. "Alright, hold on" a moment later they were back in their attic, just in time to hear their father pull into the drive.


	6. Chapter 6

The first few months past quickly for the sisters, they decided not to tell their parents about the twins being witches or the vault. They would sneak away on weekends and explore all the heavy tomes and mysterious cabinet that never seemed to run out of space. They found more jewelry, mostly it was too gaudy or had missing gems so they were left. The weapons, Hermione found interesting, there were a set of daggers that had runes carved into them that she fell in love with. She decided to split them with her sisters, 2 each. Hers had rubies, Lily's had emeralds, and Petunia's had sapphires.

Severus became a permanent fixture around the house, enlightening them on current events in the wizarding world, sharing his etiquette lessons his mother gave him, and trying to convince them that slytherin house was the best. This was a frequent debate amongst them, Hermione was convinced that the house of the brave had most merit, Lily thought they were destined to be Ravenclaw. Petunia, felt she would be a Hufflepuff, hardworking and loyal to those she cared for.

On 9 December, Severus received his letter. The first place he ran as to the Evans house to show his best friends. He smiled, best friends, he had three. While Petunia could be snarky and sarcastic, she eventually warmed to the younger boy. Hermione was scary brilliant and always willing to stick up for him when they went out together. Lily was a bubbly ball of energy, always full of questions for him, always ready to listen to his opinion. He never had a friend before he met the Evans girls, he still couldn't believe his luck. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he rang the doorbell eagerly. Hermione was the one to answer, still in her pajamas.

"Sev! You okay? Why are you here so early?" She dragged him into the house, her emerald eyes wide with concern. He never talked about it but she had a feeling his dad was hurting her friend.

"Okay? I'm great!" He yelled, waving the letter in her face she snatched it deftly, unable to properly look, he was so excited.

"It's your birthday? Why didn't you tell us?!" Hermione exclaimed reading over the supply list.

"Well..I didn't want to make a fuss, I guess" he replied sheepishly, scuffing his trainer along the floor.

"Well, we will just have to do something special for your birthday!" She cried and she rushed up the stairs to awaken her sisters. They needed a plan to make Severus's birthday the best he ever had. Petunia grabbed her purse and they rushed off for an exciting day in London.

"You guys really don't need to do anything, really, just spending the day with my best friends is enough." Severus told them repeatedly.

"If we want to take you out for your birthday, we will take you out for your birthday. You can't stop us. Mya learned this awesome spell that makes you freeze up, we'll drag you along in a wheel chair if need be." Lily told him smugly. Taking him by the hand they made their way to get some breakfast.

"Well, thanks...I've never really had anyone make a big to do about my birthday, I guess" he muttered sheepishly.

"That was your pre- Evans sisters day. Now, we tend to be pretty stubborn, so you get one chance. What would you like to do for your birthday? Anything you like? Answer honestly now, or we plan the day without your input." Petunia pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the younger boy.

"Well, I've never...been to the zoo, I know Lils and Mya went last month and had a great time..." He looked up at them hopefully.

"Definitely! Oh I wanna see the lions!" Cried Mya excitedly

After breakfast they immediately took off for a day at the zoo, chattering excitedly about all the animals and exhibits they would get to see. At the gate, the girls mortified Severus by loudly announcing it was his birthday. The ticket agent gave him a discount on his ticket and plastic crown so everyone would know that he was the birthday boy. When they would watch the animal keepers tend to the animals, they would volunteer Severus as an assistant. Lily was snapping pictures to commemorate the day, Petunia recently found something on developing the film so it would move. These would be the trial photos.

3 rolls of film later, it was beginning to get dark. They had received loads of souvenirs from the stall workers, wanting to treat the birthday boy. So, the girls offered to bring Severus home. They had never been to Severus's house before, they were very curious, having never been to magical home before. As they were walking up the walk way to a shabby house with an unkempt lawn, Severus began shaking. He was nervous how they would feel about his home. Scared that his father would be home, drunk.

If they knew...surely they wouldn't want to be his friends anymore..

"Where the hell have you been, boy?!" An enraged man with greasy brown hair came flying from the front door. Severus immediately cowered before the man, trying to make himself as small as possible. Petunia stepped in front of him, pushing the three smaller children behind her.

"He was celebrating his birthday with his friends." Petunia told him. Her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed, and her lips pursed as she regarded this man closely. He was tall, unshaven, and she could smell alcohol on him.

"His birthday?! Who would want to spend their day with the freak? Get in the house, I think we have some lessons you need to relearn." The man lunged for Severus, he staggered as petunia pushed his arm away and Hermione pulled Severus away from his father.

"We want to spend the day with him, in fact we were only coming over to ask if he could stay at our house tonight." Hermione stated icily.

"Oh, take the freak, keep him. Less of a burden on us. Doesn't do anything for me. Just gets in the way." The man slurred throwing a look towards the house. In the window was a woman with large black eyes was watching what was happening. "Well, if that's all, I'll be heading back to the missus." He turned and staggered back to the house without a backwards glance. Severus seemed to be holding back tears, shaking, scared of what would happen next.

"Come on sev, let's go home. We will talk to our parents and see what cane be done." Lily grabbed his hand, still shaken from their encounter. "You do want to come home with us, right?"

"You want me...to come home with you?" His watery eyes regarded his friends closely.

"Of course, why wouldn't we? You are our friend, right?" Petunia said gently as she put her hand on his shoulder steering him down the walkway.


	7. Chapter 7

Harold Evans was a patient and kind man, it took quite a bit to pull the soldier he kept buried inside of him out. Seeing his daughters come home close to tears, dragging their nearly catatonic friend along with them, pushed him close to the edge. Ivy quickly fixed some tea while the children sat and told him all about their day, including their confrontation with the boy's father.

"Girls, why don't you go upstairs and turn down the guest room? I need to have a word with Sev." He got up quietly to fix himself a drink as his wife ushered their daughters from the room. "Alright, Sev, I know this may be hard for you, but if you could tell me what going on inside your house, I could try to help you."

"Well, nothing much, sir. I mean I'm mostly ignored, it doesn't get out of hand very often. I'm more worried for my mum.." Severus mumbled, twisting the cup in his hands. Harold Evans sat beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, only for him to flinch away from contact.

"In the six months we have known you, you have disappeared on several occasions, otherwise you are here from sun up to sun down...I've seen you hanging around when the girls are in school some days." Harold looked Severus over carefully, trying to be as comforting as possible.

"Sometimes, I get extra lessons is all. My mother says it's very important for me to learn about my family's line." Sev answered meekly, still not taking his eyes off his tea.

"Well, you know it is never okay for someone to put their hands on you, right? The way your father spoke to you tonight, it's not the way a parents speaks to their children." Harold said slowly. He wasn't sure how to handle this situation, but he barreled on. "Sev, I want you to know, if anything ever happens, you are more than welcome to come here. Day or night, we will not turn you away." At this, Severus did look up, nodding slowly. "If you ever need to talk and you're scared of what the girls may think or just want a man to man...I'm here. The girls aren't the only ones that get attached, Sev."

-0-

The next morning, Severus found himself up before the sun. He was unsure of what the morning routine was around the house. Slowly, he crept out of his room, only to bump into Hermione.

"Good morning Sev! How did you sleep?" Hermione asked quietly and lead him to the kitchen.

"Best sleep I've had in awhile, what time does everyone start getting up?" Severus asked as he followed her closely, looking at all the family pictures lining the walls.

"Oh they should be up soon, only Lily likes to sleep late..I have a question though...what do you know of seers?" Hermione asked as she pulled down different types of cereal for breakfast.

"Seers are extremely rare, most of what is written about them is unproven. While we have divination at Hogwarts, it doesn't really help unless you have the sight. You are born with it or you aren't. They are different from prophets, who tend to spout out random shite and then forget. Seers actually see, why?" he tilted his head and watched his friend carefully.

"Oh, just curious. I couldn't really find anything in the books, nothing that actually said what it was like being a seer..." She sat beside him and chewed her lip

"Well, I don't think it's the kind of thing you want to advertise. Mum told me stories of Grindelwald, he would scour entire countries for seers and demand they join him. If they refused, he killed them. Awful, the only things she could confirm was most seers have something called the 'eye' and the skill doesn't full manifest until they are mid teens." He shrugged

"Interesting...are you-" she was cut off as her parents ambled down the stair already dressed.

"Good morning, darlings. Is there anything on the agenda today?" Ivy asked as she started making coffee.

"Not sure, mum. Maybe head into London..maybe stay around here." Hermione mumbled as she focused back on her breakfast.

"Well, I've been thinking. It's time for you girls to learn some self defense. Sev, you're more than welcome to join us as well." Harold said as he sat down with his coffee.

"What kind of self defense, daddy?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Well, I have a friend who was in the service with me, runs his own dojo. Gave him a call last night, says it will no problem to take on 4 new students." He smiled affectionately at his daughter.

"That actually sounds pretty fun! Doubt Tuney will need it though." Hermione giggled and Severus looked on with a small smile.

"Oh yeah, that was great! Tommy Henson never saw her coming! He tried to claim he got jumped by the some boys down by the pubs!" Severus snorted into his tea.

"Who is this Tommy Henson?" Harold asked.

"Oh he's just this older boy that hangs about the park. Wanted to pick on Sev one day. Tuney jumped on his back, gave him quite a thumping when he went to hit Sev" Hermione grinned wryly.

"Well, I still think you should all take the classes. Any other studies you are thinking of taking up, Poppet?" Ivy interjected quickly, noticing the flush to Severus's cheeks.

"Not sure, really. I think I may drop dance and keep gymnastics though. I'll never be a prima ballerina." She cried dramatically with her hand over her heart.

"You did just fine,Poppet. It's more Tuney's thing than yours and that's fine. The new year is upon us and you know our tradition." He threw an arm around his daughter and hugged her close.

"Why yes daddy dearest. Always improve what you can. Never limit yourself...etc etc." she giggled as her father tickled her. Petunia stood in the doorway gracefully.

"Good morning, family. What are we discussing at this ungodly hour?" She slumped into her seat fixing her breakfast.

"Your father has set up self defense classes for you kids. Also, its almost New Years so..." Ivy trailed off with a little grin.

"Ahhh, training us to become assassins? Internationally known, Evans girls. Ooo Sev, you could be our super secret handler, you know. Finding us targets." Petunia laughed as she wiggled her eyebrows at Severus.

"As long as I get an office" Severus said with a grin.

"Of course, what kind of handler would you be without an office." Lily scoffed as shuffled into the kitchen. "So, I know it's tradition but really, there must be something else to study rather that international espionage."

"It's self defense courses! Honestly, I expected you girls to go to the dojo a few times a week, learn to throw a decent punch. Now your planning to become world famous spies or assassins. Too much ambition, little ones." their father waved a spoon menacingly at his daughters.

"Slytherin." Severus coughed into hand. The girls sent him a scathing glare.

"Bless you, dear." Ivy replied,

"So, girls any new studies to take up this year?" Their father asked

"Well, I saw a course on gardening...it only lasts for a month in April." Petunia said quietly.

"I was thinking maybe fencing...although if we are go to this dojo..." Lily tiled her tea back

"Oh fencing! That sounds fun, I want to try that too, Lils!" Hermione exclaimed.

After breakfast the sisters and Sev and ran to the attic, first to the door chose the music. Petunia did a little victory dance at the top of the stairs, throwing her arms up dramatically.

"So, gardening?" Hermione asked with a raised brow. Petunia lowered herself next to the crates, leafing through the vinyl records.

"Well, I do really think I would enjoy it and you know...I thought it could supplement herbology. If you ever want a greenhouse, someone will have to take care of it while you girls leave me." Petunia pouted, picking up a Beatles album.

"That would be pretty amazing, fresh potion ingredients!" Severus exclaimed excitedly as he skimmed through a potions book.

"So, have we given any thought to telling mummy and daddy about magic? Maybe, if they knew...we could show then the alley and some of what we have been learning." Lily asked quietly by the bookshelf.

"It would be quite a surprise to whichever professor is sent to inform you of your magic." Severus said slowly.

"We wouldn't get into trouble would we? I mean, we have been spending a lot of our spare time studying all things magic for 6 months. Most of the other kids have 11 years!" Lily cried indignantly

"Well, I'm not sure, to be honest. I think they like the information about the magical world to be tightly controlled. I know Salazar Slytherin originally wanted to take the muggleborns away at birth. You know, completely separate muggle and magical." Severus said in a casual manner

"Over my dead body." Petunia huffed. "They have been mine since the day they were brought home. I've made sure they understood they couldn't be seen, I've made sure they were safe. Fat lot of help those magicals were."

"That's right, no one can take us from you Tuney. Not ever." Lily vowed solemnly.

"They could erase your memory." Hermione said quietly. Suddenly she was at the bookshelf looking for an old tome on mind magics.

"What the hell do you mean? Erase my memory? They can't do that, it's barbaric. How could they possibly make me forget my sisters?!" Petunia spat angrily.

"Not just yours, your parents too. The witch hunts really scared the community, none have happened in recent history but the magic world is so separated...my mothers family believe muggles are still hunting us, they write books that make it seem like a death sentence to walk down the street in London. They also think we still use a horse and buggy.." Severus snorted derisively.

"This could help. I'm not sure if Petunia can learn, but we have to try. It's a way to organize the mind. Give yourself a barrier to protect your mind from attacks. I think we should start right away, it will only be 6 months before our parents have to find out. We can't tell mum and dad. How could we explain all the secrecy and convince them we should go to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked quietly and hauled a large tome to the table.

"Mya's right. Do you really think they would try and take us away though? Maybe we are just being paranoid..." Lily looked over Hermione's shoulder reading the exercises

"You both are pretty powerful. If they decided you would benefit from a magical home, they may try but as long you aren't risking the statue of secrecy, I think you will be fine. Only 6 months." Severus said placating her, placing his hand over hers.

"Do you really have to go? I read you could do a home study. Hire tutors. I know mum and dad would definitely hire tutors if you wanted." Petunia moved closer to her sisters to read with them.

"That won't work. Your parents are muggles, they can't hire tutors. That clause was really only written for purebloods who don't want to waste the money to educate their daughters." Severus explained patiently.

"Waste their money!?" Hermione screeched

"How is an education a waste of money!?" Lily cried

"Well, most well to do pureblood families marry off their daughters when they're young. They are taught to be ladies, look pretty. Be seen not heard. If the husband wishes to educate his wife, that's his problem." Severus explained, looking wearily between the twins. Their emerald eyes filled with fury.

"You know I think it would be a very good idea for you to show them that real women don't need to be limited like its the 1700s or something." Petunia scoffed, trying to divert her sisters anger. "Just think, muggleborn girls top of the class, trample those chauvinist arseholes!"


	8. Chapter 8

For the next 6 months the girls studied hard, covering most of the first year books. Petunia was quite gifted in helping her sisters understand all the theory behind spell work. Hermione was brilliant with the practical work, usually managing to cast first try. Severus drilled potions and potion preparation into their heads. His mother being a potion mistress, taught him from a young age. Lily was stern, keeping them all on schedule. Making sure none of them fell behind in any of their studies.

Petunia was determined to make sure her sisters were ready for anything when they went to school. Still terrified something would happen to them while not under her watchful eye. They still had not told Severus about Hermione's dreams, their talk of seers just cemented the belief that this secret would remain between them. Dueling was very fun, even if Petunia could not join in, Hermione was a natural. The fencing lessons seemed to help them with their reflexes, keeping them moving and on their feet in a fight.

Finally the day arrived, the girls had been anxious all morning, fidgeting in their seats, eyes darting to the door every few minutes. Ivy and Harold were just about to ask what had them so jumpy when there was a knock on the door. The 3 sisters jumped up at the same time, running for the door. The door swung open to reveal a stern middle aged woman, her hair in a tight bun and she wore long black robes. She looked over the girls in the doorway with screwed eyes.

"Hello, my name is Minerva Mcgonagall, I'm here to speak to you and your parents about an elite boarding school. Hermione and Lily Evans?" She spoke quietly

"That would be us, please come in. Tuney, go get mum and dad?" Lily and Hermione lead the professor into the sitting room. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you, dear. I have your letters here." She pulled out 2 thick packages, written on old yellowed parchment. Just as the girls were about to break the seals, their parents entered the room.

"What is this about an elite boarding school? I don't recall applying to an schools, do you dear?" Harold sat down in front of the woman, brow raised.

"Yes, well, it's actually invitation only. Your daughters have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She smiled and with a regal wave of her wand, she turned the tea table into a pony. They girls smiled, their parents weren't so impressed.

"We don't allow farm animals in the house. Please fix it." Ivy cried shrilly. This made the professor pause a moment before changing their table back.

"You don't sound surprised..." Minerva asked as she pursed her lips and looked at the parents critically.

"They are our daughters, we always knew they were special. Doctors couldn't figure it out, if we pressed we were scared they would lock us up or take the girls away. We have had 11 years of odd things happening in this house, we are just happy there are more people like our girls out there." Ivy said slowly as she ran her fingers through the twins hair. "So, why don't you tell us about your school and our options."

"Well, Hogwarts is the most prestigious school in Europe, we board the student 10 months out of the year. They can come home for summer, Christmas and Easter holidays, we offer many courses, the core courses for the first two, after which they select any additional courses they wish. It's all listed here in this booklet." She was watching the muggles wearily. They were taking this too well, the older girl refused to make eye contact. "The year starts on September 1st, I can accompany you to diagon alley so you can get their supplies."

"Well, could you give us a moment...this is a lot to take in." Harold stood, ushering the rest of his family from the room. He rounded on his daughters. "This is what you have been hiding from us, isn't it?"

"We just wanted to know more before we told you...then we figured it would be best if we had an outsider explain." Hermione explained slowly.

"We weren't supposed to know yet, Sev told us. We can show you the alley and everything we learned...just don't let her know you know anything, please?" Lily begged quickly, looking between her frowning parents.

"Why? Why all the secrets?" Ivy looked at her daughters, so disappointed they wouldn't come to them as soon as they knew.

"We didn't know how, after a while, it was just easier to wait till the girls birthday. Please, let them go. They can be around kids like them, I have been helping them study and they are ready." Petunia said solemnly.

"Well, if Tuney is okay with this...they must be ready, what do you think Ivy?"

Harold turned to his wife with a sad smile.

"10 months! How can I be without you for so long?" She held out her arms to the girls

"We will be fine, mum. We will take lots of pictures, send you loads of letters. Please, let us do this?" Lily murmured into her mothers neck.

"Alright, I think we have our answer." Harold clapped his hands and pushed his family back into the room."alright, we have decided the twins can go tell us how we get to the alley place and next weekend we can make a whole day of getting all these supplies?"

"That would be fine Mr. Evans, are you sure you would not like a guide? It can be overwhelming for muggles the first time." The professor offered.

"Oh I think after Bangkok...wait, muggles?" He froze with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Non magical people." She said easily, ignoring the affronted looks on their faces.

"Sounds rather derogatory." Ivy sniffed daintily into her tea.

"Really it's just a title. Not meant to be insulting." Minerva tipped her head to the muggle couple. "Well, I think that is all, if you have any questions please feel free to ask the bar man at the Leaky, his name is Tom. He can contact me for you." With that she disappeared with a pop.

"Well, witches seem kind of rude, don't you think? You girls will not forget your manners when you head off to school. Honestly, leaving without even saying goodbye." Ivy huffed and cleared away the papers. "Will Sev be coming with us?"

"Yeah, he's actually upstairs, waiting for the all clear." Lily said sheepishly before rushing up to the attic.

"How long have you known?" Harold asked.

"About this school? I've had dreams about it since I can remember...it was confirmed last year when we met Sev. We went to diagon alley and bought some books and our wands..." Hermione trailed off. With a flick of the wrist she had her wand in her hand. She pointed it at the muffin on the table top. "Duro" tossing it to her father, she smiled sweetly.

"So, how much have you girls learned in secret?" Her father asked tossing the solid rock muffin in the air.

"Not much, we worked through some of the first year works...some we can't actually do until we get to hogwarts and after this year we can't study outside the home...we will have a trace on us until we are 17." Hermione huffed, hating that they would be impeded in their magical education.

"Does Sev have all his supplies already?" Ivy asked quietly

"Yes, his mother took him, he hid his trunk in the attic. We went shortly after, we only need our uniforms, maybe pick up a few more books." She smirked "Lily is curious about all the the creatures we get to learn about, Tuney wants more books on herbology, she wants to start a greenhouse. I love dueling, I'm hoping there's a club for it or something."

"Well, then we should get going, when we get home tonight you can show us some more of what you girls have learned. How much money will we need?" Harold asked

"Err, not much. We actually have plenty of money already converted so we won't need to go to the bank." Petunia cut in with a bright smile.

"Excellent lets get going, shall we?" Ivy was already pulling her coat on.

As the family made their way through diagon alley, the girls excitedly told their parents all the learned about the magic world, well, all the good things they learned.

"There's this game called quidditch, you actually fly on brooms. It seems rather ridiculous but I can't wait to see it played!" Hermione cried as they passed the quality quidditch supplies. "First years can't have brooms though, what's the point in being a witch if you can't fly?"

"My thoughts exactly!" A voice behind them cried out excitedly. The sisters turned quickly to see a boy roughly their age. He reminded Hermione of a boy she saw in her dreams. He had black unruly hair, gold glasses and sparkling hazel eyes. "James Potter, so, you girls like quidditch?"

"That's all Mya, I prefer to keep my feet on the ground thank you." Lily huffed, turning back to Severus.

"Well, I've never actually flown on a broom, that is. My sister and I have managed to kind of glide through the air..." Hermione told him shyly.

"Never been on a broom!? That is just not right. How could you never have flown a broom?" He asked her incredulously.

"Well, my sister and I are muggleborns...we just found out we were witches." She raised her chin defiantly, waiting for some rebuke.

"Muggleborns? Really!?" He took a step towards her searching her face, as if looking for a sign she was truly a muggleborn. "That's brilliant! I've never met a muggleborn before. Would you like to come to the manor, you can ride my broom stick." At this Harold rounded on the young man, his eyes narrowed.

"Nope, sorry must be on our way. Let's go girls." Harold practically snarled, pushing his daughters away from the boy now muttering under his breath about 'boys' and 'thought I had more time'. Hermione looked at her father like he lost his mind, she waved over her shoulder apologetically.

"See ya around, James!" Hermione called as she was pushed into the robe shop. "What was that about daddy? I want to try out his broom. I won't be able to until we get hogwarts now!" Her father made a strained sound in the back of his throat as Petunia fought down her laughter.

"No broomsticks, no boys, not till you girls are 30, at least." His growled, his face was red, there was a vein throbbing above his right eye. "I mean it, you girls are going to school to learn not talk to boys."

"What about Sev? He's a boy and we talk to him all the time!" Lily cried out, looking at her friend in horror. The thought of not having their best friend around was inconceivable.

"As long as he's not offering you his broom to ride, we will have no problems." Harold hissed, his narrowed gaze fixed on Severus and he gulped.

"No problem, I don't even have a broom." Severus squeaked, eyes wide with fright. At this Petunia completely lost it, falling into a seat giggling madly. Her sisters looked at her as though she grew a second head.

"I will explain later, promise." She gasped.

"You will explain nothing! Wait how do you know?" Harold snapped then froze as he looked over his oldest suspiciously.

"Oh daddy, it's okay. We learned all about it in school." She patted his arm reassuringly. He mumbled, mutinous, thoughts of locking his beautiful girls in a tower running to the forefront of his mind. Hermione and Lily shared a look, baffled what their father was talking about. Hermione hopped up on the stool, ready to be measured. Holding out her hand to her sister, she pulled Lily up with her.

"Why would daddy get so upset about riding a broom?" Lily asked quietly, watching her parents in the mirror. It seemed their mother was smiling knowingly at their father and Petunia had tears in her eyes from laughing.

"Maybe he's scared we will get hurt? He seemed really upset that it was a boys broom." Hermione answered, still perplexed. The seamstress snorted.

"He's just worried you will grow up and love some boy more than him, dearies." The woman laughed softly. Hermione and Lily shared a look over the woman's head. "All set, your robes will be done by August 1, summer is always busy."

The girls hopped off their stools and rushed their father, hugging him fiercely. He wrapped his arms around his girls with a raised brow.

"What do you want? I don't get hugs like that for being ruggedly handsome." Their father asked, smiling.

"Just wanted you to know we could never love a boy more than you." Hermione told him brightly. He made a choked sound in his throat.

"Yeah, daddy, you're way better than any silly boys" Lily added, happily. With that he picked them both up and kissed their cheeks.

"okay I think this merits a pet, can you bring ponies to school?" Harold laughed jovially. He walked from the shop, his arms securely around the twins. His wife wrapped her arms around Severus and Petunia as they followed along.

"I kind of wanted an owl, that way we could write you guys!" Lily exclaimed

"I guess we could share an owl, not point in having 2, right?" Hermione said, logically.

Time seemed to fly by very quickly, the girls were hard at work, making sure they were prepared for hogwarts. Their parents were happy they could share this with their girls. They cheered them on when they mastered a new spell and listened attentively when they discussed history of the magic world. Before they knew it it was time to pick up their robes from the shop. Lily decided to stay home with Severus and Petunia to work on the greenhouse.

The shop was packed, Hermione stood off to the side while her father fought thought the store to collect their robes. She was suddenly thrown to the floor, looking up she saw a regal woman with coifed black hair, her grey eyes were narrowed as she down at Hermione.

"Don't you have anything to say?" The woman hissed through her teeth.

"Yeah, watch where you're swinging that that god awful purse." Hermione sniffed as she stood up to brush herself off, turning away from the rude woman.

"Excuse me, young lady but are you aware who you are talking to?" The impeccably dressed woman growled at her. Hermione turned and noticed 2 boys standing behind the woman. One of them glaring daggers at his mother the other watching the floor with great interest.

"Should I? You don't see like anyone of interest." Hermione huffed and threw her hair over her shoulder, glaring defiantly back at the woman.

"I am Lady Black. Only a mud blood wouldn't know the matron of Most Ancient and Noble house of Black." The pureblood woman said in the most condescending tone Hermione ever heard.

"Are you aware you look like a hag and sound like a banshee? I thought pure bloods weren't supposed to lay with magical creatures?" Hermione sneered. The boys jaws dropped, the older looked at her with awe.

"I'll teach you some manners, you little bint." Lady Black growled and reached for her. Hermione ducked out of her reach and crawled beneath the racks of robes. She crawled until she was stopped by a pair of sleek dragon hide boots. Looking up slowly, she saw found herself looking at a pair of red headed twins wearing magenta robes, auror robes she knew with certainty.

"Lose something, miss?" The one on the left asked softly. Hermione slowly stood, brushing herself off.

"Oh no, sir, I was just waiting for my father when this mad woman accosted me with her handbag." Hermione sniffed and looked over her shoulder. The woman's face was twisted into a scowl.

"Really? Well, let's see if we can't sort this out, shall we?" The other twin put a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the snarling woman.

"I want her arrested!" Lady Black screeched as they approached.

"On what charges?" One of the twins asked.

"For assaulting the matron of the ancient and noble house of black. This mudblood needs to learn her places." She snarled at the young girl.

"Why Lady Black, if you would have introduced yourself, you would have known my blood is far more ancient than yours." Hermione smiled sweetly and adopted the attitude her mother always used when speaking to the annoying woman at Tescos." I would love to believe it's a spell gone awry but you smell frankly fishy, tangling with merfolk?" The men behind her gaped at the young girl, wondering what they just walk into.

"Hermione! What is all this?" Her fathers angry voice carried over to the group. Hermione cringed and saw him quickly approaching.

"Oh, nothing, daddy. You remember what mummy said about manners, this lady needed a refresher course." She smiled innocently up at her father. His eyes narrowed dangerously at woman. Lady Black shrunk back from the man quickly.

"Is there a problem here?" He looked at all their faces quickly before cutting them off. "Good, we shall be off. It was lovely meeting you all." He lifted his daughter into his arms. She lay her head on his shoulder, smiling sweetly at the group of wizards left behind.


	9. Chapter 9

The day had finally arrived, the long awaited day they would finally go to Hogwarts. The three Evans sisters huddled together on the platform, saying their goodbyes.

"Remember all that we learned, never take shite from anyone. Oh, I wish I could be there with you." Petunia whispered tearfully as she hugged her sisters tightly. "If it ever becomes too much, just remember I'm only an owl away."

"Tuney we will be back before you know it. We will be safe, promise. Maybe when we get to third year and go to Hogsmeade, you can come visit us?" Lily asked nervously.

"Don't worry, we will stick together, no matter what. And we have Sev! I love you,Tuney. I'll miss you so much" Hermione cried, clinging to her older sister.

"Alright girls, let's get you loaded up. You'll be home for Christmas, only four months and you can regale us with stories of magic and mischief." Their father kissed their heads gently.

"Mischief?" Lily scoffed.

"Us?" Hermione smiled innocently.

"Never!" They cried together, placing their hands over their hearts dramatically.

"Oh my darlings, I expect lots of letters and pictures. Is that understood?" Ivy hugged each girl before nudging them towards the train. "Go find Sev, I'm sure he's frantic looking for you girls."

With one last look, they boarded the train to hogwarts. Eventually they found an empty compartment, Hermione got comfortable while Lily went in search for Sev. She was so engrossed in her book on hexes, she didn't even noticed the door open.

"You!" A boy with black hair cried out, pointing an accusing finger at her. Hermione flicked her wrist, releasing her wand into her hand as she turned to fully face him defensively.

"Me..." Hermione trailed off nervously, sheslowly stood up and looked at the boy, tilting her head. He was a bit taller than her grey eyes, a straight aristocratic nose and shaggy black hair.

"Marry me." He got down on his knees.

"What!?" She cried jumping back from him. Suddenly another head popped into the compartment, it was the boy who offered to teach her to fly a broom.

"Really, already down on bended knee, Sirius?" He had a cocky grin on his face as he hauled his friend off his knees. "Oh hey, you're that girl who's never flown a broom. Did you get to fly over the summer?"

"Er no, my father seems to have some strange fear of boys and broomsticks." Hermione shrugged sheepishly with a small smile. "Hermione Evans, I don't think we were properly introduced last time."

"Sirius Black, your future husband at your service." He smirked before grabbing her hand to kiss her knuckles.

"James Potter, future gryfindor, quidditch star in the making." James grinned cheekily as he sat next to Sirius. Hermione giggled at the antics and sat back down across from them, putting her wand back in its holster.

"I still can't believe you said all those things to my mother. It was the best moment of my life so far." Sirius cried happily, Hermione ducked her head to hide her glowing cheeks.

"It was not one of my finest moments." She laughed softly.

"What did she say to your mum?" James asked curiously.

"Well, after claiming her blood was purer than a Blacks, she accused my darling mother of lying with hags, banshees, and merfolk. It was brilliant." Sirius barked out a laugh. A small cough made them look up to find Lily and Severus standing by the door.

"Come sit, this is my sister Lily and our friend Severus." Hermione said as she motioned them in. "I met these guys in the alley. James Potter and Sirius Black. I said his mother smelled fishy, apparently in front of 2 aurors." She grimaced, as her sister rolled her eyes at her.

"I can't leave you alone for 5 minutes" Lily scoffed and Severus chuckled.

"Why would you want to? Do you not love me anymore? I see how it is, you've discovered a new twin on your adventure to find Sev." Hermione cried dramatically throwing her body over Lily and Severus. When she was comfortable she picked her book up to begin reading while lying across their laps.

"So...what house do you think you will get into?" James asked curiously, watching the three with a bemused expression. While Hermione laid her head against her sisters shoulder to read with her, Severus used her legs as a prop for his book. Growing up as the only Potter heir, he never had friends or siblings to sit so comfortably with.

"I'll be in Slytherin, just like the rest of my family. "Sirius's shoulders slumped in defeat, he studiously avoided anyone's gaze.

"Your house is dependent on you and your character. You're not your family." Hermione said while giving a pointed look to Severus. "I hope to be in gryfindor."

"If you would rather be brawny then brainy" Severus mumbled, sneering at the redhead playfully.

"Well, what about you since your neither?" James spat sarcastically, instantly disliking the boy who wanted to be in the darkest of the four houses. He knew Hermione would be in Gryffindor with him and his father said his house was his family, no one would talk to her like that.

"Oi no need to get nasty. All friends here." Hermione huffed behind her book. "After all, a true Slytherin would never be sorted into Slytherin."

"Yeah, that's true, I really want to be in Ravenclaw but I'm not sure I want to be separated from Mya, I can't imagine the chaos she would cause with out me." Lily smirked, running her fingers through her sisters hair.

"Are you sure you want to share a dorm with her though? You know she talks in her sleep." Severus smirked as he poked Hermione in the side, making her jump.

"Oi! What have I told you about doing that." Hermione grumbled, trying to hide her flaming face from the boys across from her.

"I think it's time to break tradition." Sirius said confidently as he mulled Hermione's words over in his head.

"You better hope you do, who would want to be in Slytherin, anyway?" James laughed, elbowing Sirius in the side.

"I guess a fourth of the school, Potter" Lily rolled her eyes. James was about to retort when the compartment door slid open, a short witch with a trolley laden down with candies and treats.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She asked in a kind, grandmotherly voice. Hermione was the first to pop up, digging through her pockets for galleons. She got some of hers, Lily's, and Sev's favorite and dumped the small pile on their laps.

"Exploding snap?" James asked after a long silence. The rest of the trip was filled with laughter as they played games, traded chocolate frog cards and told jokes.

When they were all line up outside the great hall, the nerves kicked in. Hermione gripped Lily's hand tightly and tried to be strong. Sirius and James stood close behind the girls while Severus stood in front, wanting to be as far away from them as possible. The sister squealed excitedly when the house ghosts floated into the chamber, scaring all the first years.

"What if we are sorted in different houses? I can't do this without you and Tuney..." Lily said quietly, her voice quivering.

"You will never be without me. Don't worry we will get into the same house. If not, I'll rig the test." Hermione said smugly, her green eyes blazing with determination.

"What do you mean you will rig the tests?" Lily exclaimed. Hermione slapped her hand over her sister's mouth, looking around at the other startled first years.

"It means I will burn the blasted hat if it tries to separate us." Hermione smiled brightly and turned to wink at her sister, easing some of her nerves. James and Sirius were listening in and exchange a confused look. 'Hat' James mouthed, Sirius could only shrug in confusion as he watched the twins in front of them closely..


	10. Chapter 10

As the large doors opened, the first years became center stage for all the students in the hall to inspect and speculate. The professor that came to their house was standing beside a stool with a ratty hat and long but of parchment, she began calling out names. Hermione blocked her voice out, focusing on her sister, who was shaking with nerves. As she was murmuring soothing woods into her hair, she missed her name being called twice. It took James giving her a shove to get her attention. As she strode up to the stool, the stern witch was giving her a pointed glare.

'I'll burn you, I'll burn you, separate us and I'll burn you' was the mantra in her head, the hat didn't even touch her head fully before shrieking..

"Gryfindor!"

She turned to smile at Lily before skipping off to the table of red and gold. Lily was next and she practically ran to the stool. The hat took much longer, she noticed her sister's complexion becoming paler the longer the hat was on her head. Just as she stood up with her wand ready to burn the hat it yelled out again.

"Gryfindor!"

"I didn't think you were bloody serious!" Lily hissed when she reached her sister, she smacked Hermione in the arm with a scowl.

"You didn't want to be separated, I made sure we weren't separated." Hermione replied smugly.

"You threatened a millennia old relic that belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself!" She shrieked, drawing the attention of many of their new house mates. Hermione put her hand over her sister's mouth and pulled her closer to her side so that her mouth was level with Lilly's ear.

"You are drawing attention to us...say thank you, you are the best sister in the whole world and be done with it." Hermione whispered in her ear. Lily actually looked a bit sheepish as she looked around to see they were in fact the center of attention at their table.

"Thank you, Mya, you are the best sister in the world. Tying only to Tuney, best twin though." Lily smiled brightly, trying to fight the blush that crept up her cheeks.

"Hi I'm Hermione, this is my sister Lily. Nice to meet you all." Hermione smiled brightly at all the people staring at them with avid interest.

"Dorcas Meadows" a short, slightly pudgy, blonde girl offered her hand to them. "So, who did you threaten?"

"Oh no one of importance, my sister, she's a bit dramatic sometimes.." Hermione laughed nervously. The girls attention was drawn back to the front as their best friend was about to be sorted. Severus kept shooting them longing looks as he made his way forward.

"10 galleons he's hufflepuff" Lily whispered.

"You're on." Hermione grinned as she grabbed her sisters hand tightly in her own.

"Slytherin!"

"I knew he wouldn't take my advice. Oh no, must concede to bloody tradition." Hermione grumbled as she clapped half heartedly for her friend.

"We will still have classes with him, right?" Lily asked anxiously, she was already being separated from their older sister she didn't want to lose her best friend too.

"Yeah, you will have classes with him but he's a slytherin, they don't associate with lions. He might for a few years but eventually..." An older boy told them with a grim look on his face.

"Why?" Lily asked curiously with wide eyes, Severus told them a little about house rivalries but promises they would be friends no matter what. He was also sure that they would be in the same house.

"There's a major rivalry between the houses, not to mention all the dark magic they use in the snake pit. Eventually, it will be for his own safety that he distance himself from blood traitors and muggleborns." They boy said apologetically.

"Not Sev, Lily...Tuney will knock the piss out of him if he ever tries that...right?" Hermione asked, doubting their friend for the first time.

"Oh definitely, Tuney will keep him hostage for the holidays." Lily replied with a wicked grin.

"Who's Tuney?" Sirius asked, scooting closer to the twins as he listened in on their discussion.

"She our older sister, she always looked out for us. Kind of took Sev under her wing when we met him." Hermione replied sadly

"Who names their kid Tuney?" James asked with a crooked grin.

"Our parents named her Petunia, we call her Tuney. Just like we called Hermione, Mya." Lily glared at the boy.

"They had to choose names that were a bit of a mouthful, except Lily flower here. She got off lucky." Hermione smirked at her sister as she blushed to the roots of her hair.

"I've never heard of a flower called Hermione..." Another boy interjected.

"Yeah, they got creative, Hermione Rose Evans. And you are?" Hermione asked politely.

"Oh Remus, Remus Lupin." He offered his hand as Hermione studied him closely. He had light brown hair, golden eyes, and scars marring his young face. He was slightly gaunt and ill looking.

"Pleasure" she smiled brightly. "Can I call you wolfie?" The boy spat his pumpkin juice and looked at her in panic.

"Why would you call me that?" He asked quietly, his eyes darting around the hall. She tilted her head to the side and smiled sweetly.

"Your name of course, Lupin." She replied simply before she returned to her food.


	11. Chapter 11

**So, I've been having this issue where I'm being attacked by plot bunnies. Anyone know a cure because I will not be distracted from finishing these two stories!**

As soon as the feast was over the twins ran straight to Severus, clapping him on the back. They were vaguely aware of the many glares they received it chose to ignore them.

"Congratulations on being sneaky enough to gain entrance to the snake pit, Sev!" Hermione hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "explore with us tonight?" He nodded mutely in reply unsure of how to handle all of his housemates pointed glares.

"Yeah Sev, I thought for sure with all your genius you would have been a claw!" Lily crowed, bouncing with excitement.

"Well, we shall see you tomorrow, sweet dreams!" Hermione smiled brightly before giving an exaggerated yawn. The sister clasped their hands together to follow their red and gold prefect to the tower.

"Who are they Snape?" A tall boy with brown hair and beady black eyes asked.

"Just Lily and Mya, we live near each other." Severus answered vaguely, keeping his face set in an indifferent mask.

"I've never seen them before, who are their families?" A blonde prefect asked, snidely. Severus simply shrugged and feigned ignorance, keeping his head down as they were lead to the dungeons. "Don't make the mistake of making friends with the wrong sort, Snape. It will only hurt you in the long run."

10 minutes after curfew

"Mya, we can't go sneaking out on the first night! We will get in trouble!" Lily hissed as she followed her sister to the common room.

"We are attending school in a castle...learning magic, Lily. We must discover its secrets!" Hermione smiled brightly at her sister. "I told Sev we would meet by the great hall in 10 minutes. Are you coming or do we have to discover all the secrets without you?" She asked in a sing song voice.

"I'll cover for you here just in case any one does bed checks, I'll go exploring another day, alright? I'm beat anyway" Lily yawned. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and cast a silencing charm on her trainers before disappearing through the portrait hole. Little did she know there were 2 more first years with the same dreams of discovering the castles secrets.

She moved silently and stealthily through the castle corridors, drinking in all the magical aspects of the the school. Talking portraits, moving staircases, ghosts! Oh she couldn't wait to tell Tuney all about it. It was even better than Hogwarts, A History! As she rounded the corner, she was confronted with the mangiest cat she ever laid eyes on. It had bright orange eyes and tufts of brown matted fur that looked like the poor thing was never groomed.

"Oh come here, sweets" she bent down and held her hand out to the cat. When it approached her, Hermione scratched the cat behind the ears, making it purr. "What is you name? Mrs. Norris? Where is Mr. Norris?" Hermione checked the collar around the cat's neck before she continued to walk along cooing over cat that was purring in her arms. When she reached the great hall, there was no sign of Severus, she tapped her foot impatiently, wondering how long it took to get to the dungeons.

"Mrs. Norris!" A voice called from the corridor. It was a wheezing voice that sounded like the care taker, Hermione immediately put the cat down and rushed in the opposite direction, only to run directly into an invisible but very solid barrier. Picking herself up, she reached out quickly, her fingers catching some form of fabric that felt like cool water.

She heard the caretaker coming and didn't think twice before pushing herself under the cloak. When she saw who it was, she immediately grabbed their hands and pulled them away from the caretaker and his cat. Once they got up the staircase she took out her wand and cast a silencing charm on their shoes and smiled brightly at the boys.

"So, fancy meeting you here." Hermione laughed softly, only a little nervous. Strangely, she felt safe between the boys.

"How did you know we were under the cloak?" James whispered suspiciously.

"I didn't, I just figured strangers with an invisibility cloak would be better than a night being badged by the caretaker." Hermione answered honestly.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to run off with strangers?" Sirius asked with a sly smile on his face.

"I never had much to fear with Tuney around so...no." Hermione grinned impishly as she shrugged her shoulder unrepentantly.

"So, what are you doing wandering around the big scary castle all by your lonesome?" James asked throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, you see...I wanted to try and discover some secrets of the castle...so far, I've only found a cat." She chuckled. "What about you boys? Make it a habit of saving damsels from the caretaker?"

"Of course, fair maiden. That was exactly what we were doing tonight, just waiting till you needed rescuing!" James chuckled, shaking his head fondly at the little redhead at his side.

"Well, brave Knights...I have a really good feeling about where we may find the kitchens. Care to escort a lady?" Hermione chirped cheerfully, both boys offered their arms and Sirius snorted.

"Would we be Gryffindors if we didn't?" he asked. They made the way to the third floor and stopped in front of a large painting of a bowl of fruit..

"Tickle the banana." She told James. He did so immediately and gave her a quizzical look when nothing happened. Reaching around them she tickled the pear. "My sisters would have found it hilarious you tickled a banana."

The painting opened to show a large kitchen with 5 long tables similar to the great hall. Bustling about there must have been hundred of house elves, at least twenty immediately ran to them asking if they needed anything.

"There was nothing about house elves in the books..." She knelt before the house elves and smiled kindly. "Are you all happy here, do they treat you well?"

"Oh yes miss, so much work, the sentient bond is very strong. There is no happier elf than a hogwarts elf!" One of the elves squeaked as she literally vibrated with excitement. Hermione nodded and turned to the 2 boys who were looking at her strangely.

"Are you guys okay...?" She asked slowly, looking between them and the elves.

"I've never seen anyone ask if an elf was happy before." Sirius muttered uncomfortably shuffling his feet.

"If you want to know what a mans like, look to how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." She said softly. Chewing her lip, she wondered briefly where that quote came from.

"Where did you hear that?" James asked, looking down at her specifically.

"Uncle Alphard, he's said that me before." Sirius murmured. Hermione shrugged as a house elf began loading their arms with sweets and butter beer.

"Shall we head back? Lily is probably crazy by now thinking I'll get expelled or something." She chuckled. James lifted the cloak to cover the three of them as they made their way back. Once they were back in the common room, Lily was already on the couch wringing her hands, nervously. Hermione and the boys snuck up behind her slowly. Hermione reached out covering her mouth with her hand and breathed in her ear.

"Do you like strangers with sweets?" Hermione chuckled. Lily screamed and jumped nearly a foot in the air, she turned to see the three of them, loaded down with sweets, laughing.

"Oh you think it's soo funny, do you? You know professor Mcgonagall has already come by. I covered for you by the way." Lily glared at her twin, Hermione grabbed a pumpkin pasty and a butter beer to offer her sister with an contrite smile.

"That's why your the best twin in the whole world. We found the kitchens, they have house elves!" Hermione's cried excitedly.

"Why would you be excited about slavery!?" Lily cried in outrage.

"It's not really slavery...they like it. It's what they want to do. Why keep them from what makes them happy?" James laughed at the ridiculousness of the notion.

"Oh yes, free servants to bound to do everything you wish . At your beck and call, where's the harm?" Lily asked scathingly as she glared at the messy haired boy, her sister let out a long suffering sigh as she turned to her sister.

"Did you read the book on bonds yet?" Hermione asked patiently.

"Well, no...I kind of got distracted by the other magical creatures. Did you know they have unicorns in the forest?" Lily asked, her green eyes lighting up at the notion of seeing a real unicorn.

"I had not seen that...want to go to the forest with me this weekend?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"The FORBIDDEN forest? That forest?" Lily asked with an arched brow, looking at her sister incredulously,

"That's what makes it an adventure!" Sirius said, plopping down on the couch beside Lily.

"How can you really learn about all these creatures if you never really see them, right?" Hermione smirked at her sister, leaning over the couch so her chin rested on her head.

"Well, I'll think about it...but only during the day...and only the outskirts" Lily said timidly.

"Excellent! It's a date!" James cried happily as he plopped down beside Sirius.

"We have classes in the morning, you should get to sleep." Lily jumped up, heading to the stairs. "Are you coming, Mya?"

"Yeah, night guys!" Hermione smiled brightly at the boys before she grabbed couple sweets and chased her sister up the stairs.

"James, I'm going to marry that girl." Sirius vowed once they disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

The twins woke extra early that morning to meet Severus the library, Hermione was panicking that she got Severus in trouble. They waited by the doors for 20 minutes, with no sign of their friend at all. Lily gripped Hermione's hand tightly as they headed to the great hall. They were both surprised to see Severus already sitting with his house mates, eating breakfast. Lily tried to head over to them but Hermione pulled her to their own table.

"Do you think what that other boy said was true? That Sev won't be our friend anymore just because he's in Slytherin?" Lily asked sadly. James chose that moment to sit besides her smiling, happily.

"Who wouldn't want to be friends with you, Lily flower!?" He exclaimed loudly, everyone turned to look at Lily, who turned bright red and tried to hide her face.

"Don't call me that!" Lily hissed before she snatched up her class schedule and rushed out the door. Hermione rubbed her temples,feeling the start of a headache. She calmly grabbed her things along with some muffins before taking off after her sister.

"What did I do?" James cried watching the girls leave, his bright smile slipping from his face.

"She's upset her friend ditched her this morning. I heard them talking about it before you guys sat down." Said a squeaky voice beside him. He had watery blue eyes, short, pudgy, and bit his nails nervously as he watched his dorm mate nervously.

"What friend?" Sirius asked.

"Someone named Sev? They were talking about it on their to the library, I guess he ditched them cause he's a Slytherin now." Remus told them.

"They're all snakes, greasy git was trying to convince them to get placed in Slytherin. Can you imagine muggleborns in Slytherin?" James shook his head angrily as he loaded his plate with food.

"Yeah, my cousin told me the last muggleborn to be sorted Slytherin left the school due to injuries, only lasted 4 days." Sirius growled as his eyes darted to the doors, a frown marring his face.

Hermione caught up with Lily outside the transfiguration classroom and pulled her inside. After a silent war of choosing seats in the front or back, Lily won. Placing them front and center for their lesson.

"It's only been a day, Lila. Remember what Professor Minnie said, your house is your family, maybe Slytherin has some kind of bonding thing when you first arrive." Hermione said with optimism she hardly felt and held her sisters hand. They still had 15 minutes before class would start. Hermione looked up to see a tabby cat sitting on the professor's desk and smiled. She walked up to the front of the class and started to pet the cat, scratching behind its ears. "Aren't you gorgeous? Lila, look at the marking around her eyes, isn't she beautiful?"

The cat purred and as more students filed in Hermione returned to her seat, they were talking about maybe researching for a magical breed of cat to get next summer when suddenly the cat leapt from the desk and changed into their professor. Students clapped and cheered but looked to Hermione, snickering. She sunk low in her seat blushing as her sister giggled. Glaring at her sister, she tried to listen to her first lecture but found it woefully under stimulating. Hesitantly, Hermione raised her hand.

"How would I become an animagus?" Hermione asked when she was called on.

"It's very, very advanced. Most witches and wizards never become animagi, but we will cover the theory in your fifth year. Today you will be turning a match into a needle..." The professor droned and Hermione's mind drifted. Wondering what animal she would become. Once they were handed their matches, the twins looked at each other before waving their wands over the matches, completely transforming them on the first try.

"Excellent, five points each to Gryfindor to both Ms. Evans!" The professor clapped her hands smiling encouragingly.

"Do you think we have any books at home on becoming an animagus?" Hermione asked quietly as they turned their matches back and forth.

"I'm not sure we can add it to the letter we have for Tuney..." Lily replied, trying to toy with the size of her match, Hermione reached over to guided her hand.

"Like this.." Hermione whispered, embellishing the flick, Lily smiled as the needle grew.

"What are you two doing?" The professor stopped before them, she picked up the needle, that was at least 3 inches longer than her sisters, and inspected it closely.

"Well, we wanted to see if the match would revert back to its original size if we made the needle bigger?" Hermione said hesitantly. A few students around them stopped and looked over at their table.

"And...?" The professor pressed, her brow raised.

"The match is unaffected." Lily said quietly, sinking lower in her seat.

"Very good. 10 points each." With that she dropped the needle on their table and strode to help other students. Lily looked to her sister with a raised brow

"What? Would you have rather told professor Kittie you were bored. That woman's got a glare to rival Tuney. I'm not telling her I'm bored, you nutter." Hermione hissed in her ear. Lily burst into a fit of giggles.

"Professor...Kittie..." Lily snickered sinking low in her seat. Hermione smacked her in arm and pointed out Severus, who had his head down refusing to meet their eyes.

"I'll distract Minnie, you get this dungbomb into Sev's bag, okay?" Hermione whispered. Lily nodded and palmed it. Hermione stood and strode up the professors desk, smiling sweetly.

"Miss. Evans?" Professor McGonagall raised a questioning brow at the girl who stood before her.

"Professor, I was just wondering the time frame it usually took to become an animagus? If I needed to wait to be a certain age before trying?" Hermione asked innocently, keeping herself firmly between her professor and her sister.

"Ms. Evans, I told you it is very advanced magic, beyond NEWT levels. Some may take years, others I've heard months...some never at all. It took me 6 months when I was 23..." The professor trailed offer, eying her wearily. "Really it should not even be attempted until your core has matured, around 16." Hermione peeked at her sister to find the task done.

"Thank you professor, I'm just so curious as to what animal I would be, you know? Wouldn't it be awful to go through all the trouble just to be...say...a dung beetle?" Hermione chuckled.

"Yes, Ms. Evans but it has happened before." The professor mumbled dismissively as she stood to walk around the tables before the end of class. Hermione turned and went back to her seat, waiting anxiously for the end of class.

Finally at the end of class, everyone was packing up, Hermione turned, stretched flicked her wand towards Sev's bag muttering "diffindo". The bag split, spilling all his books as well as a dungbomb that rolled towards the professor. His face lost what little color it had as her lips pursed into a thin line.

"Mr. Snape, you will remain behind." She called as she picked up the dungbomb.

"I don't know how that got there professor, honestly, I have never even bought one before!" Severus cried. The girls rushed from the room, waiting around the corner to ambush him.

"You are very sneaky." a voice whispered in Hermione's ear. She yelped and spun around to see Sirius standing behind her with a lopsided grin on his face.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Sirius." She replied sweetly. James grinned as he moved to stand beside his friend.

"Oh, I saw everything, we were right behind you the whole class." He threw an arm over her shoulder. "My only question is, why? I thought he was your friend?" She huffed and threw his arm off.

"He has been avoiding us since the feast. We need to ambush him, you are in the way." Lily hissed as she sent an anxious glance towards the classroom, she glared menacingly at the boys who were smiling at her sister.

"All you needed to say, I'll see you in history of magic." James winked before sauntering off with his hands in his pockets, Sirius skipping by his side.

"I don't see why you like them, they are both cocky, arrogant toe rags." Lily huffed, resting her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"They are funny, cocky, arrogant, toe rags." Hermione giggled watching them walk away. Lily rolled her eyes at her sister

"What if he really doesn't want to be friends anymore?" Lily asked quietly as she toyed with the hem of her skirt, nervously.

"I don't understand how it could suddenly change overnight. He practically has his own room in our house. He gets tutored with us. Has spent every day with us for over a year. Are we boring?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think you're boring. Tuney is anything but boring..." Lily whispered.

"I think you are an amazing friend Lily. We have to figure out what is going on with Sev." Hermione rubbed her hand down Lily's arm. The door opened and Severus stomped out, rushing past them. Lily jumped first grabbing him by the arm. Hermione grabbed the other and pushed him into an empty classroom.

"What the hell are you doing? Did you really need to get me detention?" Severus bellowed, his face red as he glared at his best friends.

"You were avoiding us. It was pretty obvious you don't want to speak to us in front of your housemates, this seemed simpler." Hermione said bluntly as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"Well, why would I avoid you, slipping dungbombs into my bag and getting me detention?" Severus grumbled, his hard stare softening slightly as he saw the hurt in their matching emerald eyes.

"Did you even come to meet me last night?" Hermione asked after a moment of silence.

"I couldn't, my dorm mates stayed up till half one, letting us know all the rules of Slytherin." Severus explained, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Is one of these rules that you have to ditch us?" Lily asked quietly, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Not in so many words..." Severus looked down, avoiding their gaze.

"So, you're saying you would rather be with your housemates than your best friends?" Lily cried out incredulously as she stomped her foot.

"No, we can still go to the library and study together. We can hang out on the weekends, I guess." He approached the girls slowly. "It's just they are all about a united front, safety in numbers and all that noise."

"So, tomorrow, you will meet us in the library to study?" Hermione questioned slowly.

"Yes, every morning, I promise. You're my best friends, I'm sorry." Severus said quietly. Lily launched herself into his arms, hugging her friend tightly.

"You know us Evans girls, Sev. We are rather forceful." Hermione smiled and hugged him. "I'm sorry about the dungbombs, I won't do it again...unless you try avoiding us."

"You really don't need threats, Mya." Severus chuckled.

"We need to get to history of magic, we'll see you tomorrow Sev!" Lily called brightly as they left the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Severus did meet them in the library the next morning, as promised. Although, he was a little sullen. It seemed life in the snake pit wasn't quite what his mother promised it to be. As Severus and Lily worked on homework, Hermione explored the library. Looking for any information on becoming an animagus, the library was huge and she knew it would take years to read everything. She wandered to the restricted section and ran her fingers along the spines of the books. Madam Pince was there in a heart beat, glaring at her.

"Can I help you find something? You should not be in the restricted section." She asked in a tight voice, her arms were crossed over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Why are these books restricted?" Hermione asked innocently, amazed that at the woman's speedy arrival.

"There are some dark tomes as well as very advanced magic, this information must be strictly monitored. It could be dangerous" she told her in a tight impatient voice.

"Of course Madam Pince and you are doing a fine job of it." She smiled sweetly. "I've never seen a librarian take care of books like you do." The librarian actually blushed and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder to gently steer her back to the table with her sister. When she got back to the table, Lily looked ready to blow and Severus kept shooting looks to the exit.

"You guys ready for breakfast?" Hermione asked cautiously, a frown on her face as she watched her sister and best friend critically.

"Great Mya, I'm already done with my work. You want to go for a walk after dinner? Tell me all about lions pride?" Severus smirked while Lily remained uncharacteristically silent, only glaring furiously at the floor as if it personally offended her.

"Yeah, sounds great, we can walk around the grounds or something. I heard there's a tree on by the forest that can beat you worse than Tuney, sounds fun, yeah?" Hermione smiled as they made their way to the great hall. Parting ways with Severus they made their way to their own table, Hermione leaned towards her sister with a questioning look.

"He said we were neighbors, not even neighbors...that we lived by him. When you took off, one of his housemates came by and he referred to as just girls from his neighborhood. Not his best friends." Lily said sourly as she nibbled on some toast, looking anywhere but her sister.

"Well, I'm not sure how to feel about that. I mean, if anyone asked me, he's like my brother...to be demoted to neighbor. Let's just give him a chance, we will continue being his best friends. Just ignore his housemates." Hermione told her with a grim smile. Suddenly, a very familiar voice filled the hall. Her eyes narrowed an she saw a flapping piece of paper screaming in Sirius's face, his eyes were wide, his cheeks tinged with pink. Slowly she got up and went over to him.

"-SHAME OF MY FLESH! ASSOCIATING WITH MUDBLOODS AND FILTH-" The magnified voice of Walburga Black was cut off as Hermione tipped a plate of oats over the smoking envelope. The bowl trembled as the howler tried to escape and shriek louder but it was no match for the brown sugar sweetness.

"I hate that woman's voice" Hermione sneered as she turned around to rejoin her sister, Sirius remained silent as he stared down at the bowl that lifted itself to emit a small plum of smoke before settling.

"What was that bloody thing?" Lily hissed when her sister took her seat.

"I don't know but I am so going to learn to make one before Tuney's birthday. Can you imagine-" Hermione stopped as she looked around to every face in the great hall turned to stare at them with open mouths. "What?" She turned to Lily quickly, touching her face. " Do I have something on my face?"

"No one has ever silenced a howler before." A pretty blonde girl told her. "Kids get howlers all the time, usually we just have to sit back let it happen.."

"You mean parents actually scream like that at their children in public?!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror. "How barbaric!"

"So, let me get this straight...you watch your friends humiliation, allow foul language in the great hall by an almighty piece of paper...when you could easily silence it with some potatoes?" Hermione asked slowly with a raised brow.

"It's just how things are done." The girl looked down with a pink face.

"Well, then if that's how things are done, I'll not interrupt next time." Hermione rolled her eyes and took a sip of her tea. "Back to what I was saying, Tuney's face, her birthday. You think there's a way to make automatically open on the morning of her birthday? Just imagine! It would be so much better than the wake up we gave her last year! She probably thinks she's safe now th-"

"Mya, let's go. People are still staring..." Lily pulled on her sleeve urgently as she looked around in mortification.

"Alright, you got that little map?" Hermione asked nonchalantly as they exited the hall, annoyed at the rudeness of her classmates. "Well, I had planned to not draw too much attention to us..."

"Yeah yeah Mya, I just don't get why they just stare though, it's creepy." Lily shuddered. They heard loud footsteps behind them and turned to find the four boys in their year; James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter.

"Hey, Mya, you didn't need to do that...you know I could have handled it" Sirius shuffled his feet awkwardly, a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks as he looked anywhere but the girl in front of him.

"If it makes you feel better, I did it for myself, not you. I really do hate your mothe's voice. I meant what I said, bloody banshee." Hermione snorted before continuing on her way to potions with her arm laced with her sisters.

In class, the girls sat in the back, Peter ended up with them at their table of three. He was a very clumsy boy, sweating profusely over the cauldron. The pudgy boy slipped a few times while preparing the ingredients, dropping them to the floor or slicing his fingers. Hermione took a deep calming breath, there was something about him that made her skin crawl and his clumsy attempts at ingredient preparation did nothing to endear the boy to her. Lily pushed him back and handed him a paper fan, trying to soothe the obviously hapless boy before he drew their ire.

"Sit back and relax, Peter. You'll make yourself sick." Lily told him softly, she tried to smile encouragingly but it looked to be more of a grimace.

"Yeah, relax, the potions almost done anyway." Hermione feigned cheeriness, plastering a wide smile on her face. She looked over at Severus and saw him glaring daggers at the pudgy boy. Leaning over to her sister, Hermione whispered in her ear. "Lily, what's up with Sev?"

"Don't know, guess we will have to wait till after dinner." Lily looked up to give their friend a perplexed look before shrugging.

"Did you do something to Sev, Peter?" Hermione asked. The sweaty boy looked up at the twins in confusion.

"No, I've never even spoken to him before." He squeaked nervously, looking over to the Slytherin side of the room to find the greasy boy with black hair glaring furiously at him.

"Oh, well, let's just get this bottled up then. We have charms next, that should be interesting, right?" Lily said happily, her shoulder relaxing slightly as Professor Slughorn subtly nodded his head as he passed their table.


	14. Chapter 14

The next few months few months passed very quickly for the twins. Lily and Severus lived in the library, Hermione would join them most mornings but she preferred to read down by the lake. Classes were not much of a challenge, Lily reigned top spot in all courses, even after many heated arguments with her sister about letting her have top spot. Hermione would argue that Lily earned it because she spent all her free time going over their course work, she relented that she would put in extra work in studying for her exams.

Hermione spent many nights exploring the castle with James and Sirius under the invisibility cloak. They found a few short cuts, a lot of abandoned corridors, but nothing quite as interesting as the kitchens. Hermione found out some blonde prefect was giving Severus a hard time so they planned pranks targeting him. Their favorite so far was one that made his hair pink for three days.

Their professors adored them, they would gush about their potential. Always being the first in class to be finished. Lily took Petunia's words to heart, she would show them all by being the best. Purebloods were already spreading rumors about them, twin magic and adopted purebloods. Hermione and Lily would laugh them off, seeing as they were nearly carbon copies of their mother.

They had made tentative friendships with the girls in their dorm, Alice and Marlene. Lily thought they were a bit too giggly and would much rather hang out with Severus in the library. The girls started a tradition on Fridays, they would spend the night being girly. Alice and Marlene would use them as dolls, putting make up on them and doing their hair. The twins would blanch and just allow it to happen, not seeing the point in fighting them, 6 1/2 years to go.

Before they knew it, they were on the train headed home for the holidays. Sirius became sullen and quiet, James was bouncing off the walls when Hermione entered the compartment. Remus still looked ill from visiting his grandmother, Peter sat beside Sirius, quietly reading a book.

"James, calm down." Hermione laughed and tried to get him to sit down. He grabbed her around the waist and twirled her, sweeping her gracefully off her feet.

"Mya, love, how could I possibly calm down? I'm going home to stock up on sweets and top up my prank trunk" James smiled brightly as he dipped her, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"So, you won't miss us at all?" Hermione giggled, trying to disentangle herself from the giddy boy. She looked to Sirius with large, pleading eyes "save me" she hissed

"Didn't I invite you to the New Years gala?" James asked, finally letting her go.

"Um, no." Hermione tilted her head to the side, thinking back to any of their previous conversations.

"Oh well, we have a ball every year on New Years, no kids our age, unfortunately...my parents are older, you know. Of course you are all invited, I'll have my mother send you an invite." James waved a hand dismissively as he sat down heavily between Sirius and Peter.

"Can I bring my sisters?" She asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Lily hates me." James hedged, looking nervously towards the door as if waiting for her to come flying in at any moment to hex him.

"She doesn't hate you..." Hermione said with a sweet smile, twirling a red lock of hair in her fingers.

"She calls me Potter and hexes me whenever I come near her. Oh, and she calls me a toe rag!" James shouted indignantly, his hazels eyes burning brightly.

"It may have something to do with you taking her books when you sit near her...or calling her Lily flower...or the fact that you invade her personal space." Remus snorted as he stretched out in his seat with a pleased smile.

"Yes, only I can get away with calling her that and not even often." Hermione laughed happily at James's sullen expression, Sirius was quick to put a comforting arm around his best mate.

"She won't bring a book to the ball, will she?" James asked hesitantly, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"That depends on the dress robes we decide on." Hermione laughed happily and shrugged her shoulders.

"What about your older sister, she's a muggle, right? I don't think we have ever had a muggle at the manor before." James hedged, slightly uncomfortable with the notion. He wanted Hermione to come to play pranks on the older stuffy guests, he knew she was very close to her sisters and if the older one was anything like Lily he didn't think she would join in on the games.

"Well, it's New Years, I'm not going without them. Maybe we could meet each other at the alley or something?" Hermione offered, chewing her lip to stop herself from lashing out to defend her sister.

"I will ask, my parents have nothing against muggles. You need to come for your flying lessons anyway." James smirked, relaxing at the compromise.

"Yeah, let's not mention brooms in front of my father. He's worried I'll hurt myself or something." Hermione huffed irritably, thinking back to the many letters her father sent. Always he asked what kinds of friends she made and if anyone was offering her broom rides. Tuney thought it was hilarious and couldn't help but mention it in all her letters as well.

"Ridiculous, as if a broom could stop you, Mya." James joked with a wide smile.

"I dunno, when you offered to let me ride your broom, my dad went all red and kept making weird noises in his throat. Then he yelled at us saying school was for education not boys and-" she was cut off by Sirius snorting. "What?"

"Your father is not scared you will get hurt flying a broom." Sirius was shaking with laughter. Peter's ears turned pink, Remus and James sported pink cheeks, trying to slink lower into their seats.

"What? You weren't there, dad was beside himself, wanted to lock us all away." Hermione cried out hotly, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Your father only wanted to keep you away from James's broom." Sirius snickered. James blushed and averted his eyes, refusing to look in the redhead's direction.

"That's not what I meant, when I offered." James mumbled uncomfortably as he squirmed under Hermione's penetrating stare.

"What are you on about?" Hermione demanded, shaking her head.

"Sex, Mya." Sirius chuckled. Hermione still looked confused, "don't tell me, you don't know about sex...my father gave me a book before school started. I'm..I..I know something Mya doesn't know?" He grinned, his grey eyes sparkling with mirth. "Make it known boys, today is the day. We know something Mya doesn't know." He crowed happily as Hermione huffed irritably and stood with her hands on her hips.

"Well, if you're just going to mock me, I'll just be on my way." Hermione growled and stalked out of the compartment, ignoring their calls to come back. Hermione was fuming when she found her sister and Sev. She refused to say anything, just looked out the window with her arms folded over her chest.

When they reached kings cross, Hermione was the first off the train. Sprinting through the barrier and scanning the crowds quickly. She spotted her blonde sister almost immediately and ran to her, dumping her trunk along the way to jump into her sisters arms. Breathing in her comforting scent. Lily and Severus joined them quickly, Severus grabbing Hermione's forgotten trunk along the way.

"What's wrong?" Petunia asked quietly. Hermione shook her head as they made their way to the car. Lily filled Petunia and their parents in on all the little things they hadn't told them in letters. Hermione stayed silent, brooding. It's not as if there were things she didn't know...but no one had ever laughed at her for being ignorant on a subject. She was used unexplained pieces of knowledge coming to her easily. When they got home, the family settled in for dinner and they all looked at Hermione, expectantly, she took a deep breath.

"What is sex?" Hermione asked boldly, much to the shock of her parents and the amusement of her older sister.


	15. Chapter 15

After an embarrassing two hour discussion into the clinical aspects of sex, the sisters made their way up to the attic. Petunia was giggling, madly teasing the twins and making faces, impersonating their father. As they settled down, making a large bed on the floor, the twins snuggled on either side of their sister.

"So, anything new with you, Tuney?" Lily asked.

"Not much, top grades, babysitting for the Johnsons...I have a boyfriend." Petunia blushed, a small smile blooming in her face.

"Ooo who is he? Do we know him? Has he been by to meet mum and dad?" Hermione fired off her questions at once, sitting up on her elbow to look at her older sister.

"His name is Alex. No, you don't know him, he just moved here from Ireland...he has not met mum and dad. He's really sweet, his accent makes me melt." Petunia whispered reverently and smiled dreamily. "He's 16, he's only asked me to be his girlfriend last Friday. He has black hair, very tall, bright blue eyes...he plays football. You'll meet him soon, he's actually looking forward to it."

"Have you told him about us?" Lily asked quietly, her eyes averted.

"Of course not! I just said my sisters were geniuses and went to a very exclusive boarding school in another country." Petunia turned on her sister, stroking her cheek affectionately.

"Just curious...Hermione has 2 boyfriends, 2 annoying toe rags that follow her everywhere she goes." Lily smirked as her twin's face turned red from embarrassment.

"They are my friends, not my boyfriends!" Hermione huffed impatiently then looked down sadly. "They laughed at me today."

"Why would they laugh at you" Petunia's eyes narrowed suspiciously, no one hurt her sisters. She would need to talk to Sev about keeping a closer eye on them if some twits were making fun of her girls!

"Sirius was making fun of me...because...Ididntknowwhatsexwas" Hermione whispered as her face flushed and she looked down at the blanket with great interest.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Lily asked in confusion with a raised brow.

"I didn't know what sex was!" Hermione's exclaimed loudly before covering her mouth with her hands. She glared at her sisters as they dissolved into giggles. "You didn't know either Lils!"

"Is that why you were so broody today?" Petunia asked after she composed herself, she reached down to grab Hermione's hand under the blanket.

"I know it's stupid, but no one has ever laughed at me for not knowing something...I'm used to having all the answers..."Hermione trailed off sheepishly.

"They are boys, Mya. Boys always laugh when it comes to sex, especially 11 year old boys." Petunia explained patiently, inwardly rolling her eyes at her sister's sensitivity.

"Yeah, they are gormless toerags, Mya!" Lily exclaimed giggling.

"Toe rags?" Petunia asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, Potter and Black are infuriating! They think that they own the school, cocky gits." Lily grumbled, a deep scowl settling in her face.

"They are funny! We plan the best pranks." Hermione quickly defended her boys, a small smile unconsciously blooming on her face.

"So, anything else you didn't include in your letters?" Petunia asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Well, honestly, it's been pretty boring. We are so far ahead in our studies. I want to go to the alley and find out more about becoming an animagus." Hermione yawned as she laid back into the the cushions.

"She's obsessed, read everything she could find in the library. Prince has caught her in the forbidden section every time!" Lily laughed happily as she snuggled into Petunia's side.

"There must be some kind of sensor or something, I just want to know the steps...it says there is a lot of meditation involved." Hermione mumbled defensively, burrowing herself into her sister's other side.

"We can go tomorrow, I've been needing some things for the green house anyway." Petunia said dismissively as she relaxed.

"Ooh, I can't wait to see it!" Lily cried excitedly, fighting back a yawn.

"Tomorrow, sleep now." Petunia said sternly as she pulled the blanket up to cover Lilly's shoulders.

"Fine." Lily mumbled sleepily as her eyes grew heavy.


	16. Chapter 16

After an exciting morning in Diagon Alley, the sisters and Severus found themselves in the green house. Petunia smiled as she started spreading dragon manure over her newest specimens. The girls looked over her shoulder curiously as Severus explored some of the smaller plants in the back.

"What are these?" Severus examined the harmless looking green plants.

"Oh, those are just some herbs I planted. I haven't seen anything about using them with magic but...well, fresh herbs are supposed to taste better. I think it comforts our parents to have normal things in the green house." Petunia smiled as she sprayed the green leaves with a nutrient potion she found earlier that day.

"So, are you going to grow anything else?" Lily asked as she looked over a a pretty blue flower that looked to be breathing, the delicate petals moving independently against her fingers.

"Well, I wanted to see what dragon manure would do to food..you know leeks and celery?" Petunia said absently, keeping a close eye on her sisters in the corner of her eye.

"Besides make them smell horrible?" Hermione giggled, scrunching up her nose at the heavy smelly bags stacked in the corner.

"I haven't found anything about magical farming...so, I'm just experimenting. It would be so much easier with magic." Petunia grumbled as she looked over all her beloved plants wistfully.

"I wish we could use magic at home. It doesn't seem fair, not being able to use magic until we are 17. How are we going to do our school work over the summer?" Lily grumbled petulantly, jutting out her lower lip.

"I think they just assign essays, no practical work." Severus sighed as he walked towards the exit, bored of the magnificent greenhouse. "So, Tuney, what are you taking up this year?"

"Not sure yet, the company is wanting me to put more hours in this year. I might just do some self study. You know, there are branches of magic that don't require a wand." Petunia smiled and danced on her toes from the green house.

"Anymore thought on that retreat they have been trying to talk you into?" Hermione asked curiously, watching her sister in awe. She was always slightly jealous of how graceful her sister was, not like her and Lily who could trip on a grain of sand.

"I love ballet but I love you girls more. I would hate to miss out on half the summer with you guys." Petunia smiled reassuringly.

"If it's something you love, you should do it. You're amazing. We would still have 6 weeks together." Lily smiled brightly.

"I know...it's just you guys are gone for so long..." Petunia bit her lip apprehensively, looking between her sisters encouraging smiles.

"Tuney, if there was something Lils or I wanted to do...what would you say to us?" Hermione asked, slipping her arm around her sister.

"It's not the same, you're both amazing and could do anything you wanted." Petunia scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"You're brilliant, best prima ballerina ever! You are truly gifted, and we will always be there to cheer you on!" Lily looped her arm around Petunia's, resting her head on her older sisters arm.

"I'll think about it..." Petunia sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"When we found out about magic, you encouraged us to learn everything, be the best. Why wouldn't we do the same?" Hermione asked, indignantly.

"Yeah, Okay, you maybe right." Petunia grumbled as they sat down in the kitchen to eat lunch.

"Soo when do we get to meet Alex?" Hermione smirked.

"Yes, when do we get to meet our future brother-in-law?" Lily giggled, moving to stand beside her twin, an eerily similar smirk blooming in her face.

"Not sure, he's been my boyfriend for a week. Let's not start picking dresses, Kay?" Petunia snorted, feeling only slightly uneasy about the matching mischievous smiles on her sisters faces.

"Boyfriend?" Severus asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the beautiful blonde at his side.

"Yeah, Tuney's in loooovvvee." Lily sang, a bright smile on her face as she sat in Hermione's lap.

"A week, he's my first boyfriend. Calm down." Petunia hissed, a deep blush creeping up her neck.

"Well, we need to meet him, make sure he's good enough for you Tuney." Severus said seriously, he steepled his fingers beneath his bony chin, giving her a calculating look.

"He's a nice boy, we've been on a few dates and he's quite handsome." Petunia smiled reassuringly, a small ball of anxiety growing in the pit of her stomach. How would her first boyfriend handle two witches and a wizard interrogating him?

"We trust your judgement, Tuney, but no one will ever deserve you." Severus smirked. He knew how his father won his mother over when they were young. While he had opened his eyes a little when it came to muggles, he also knew there were real bastards out there and swore none of them would ever come near his girls while he was there.

"Aww, Sevvy, if only you were a bit older and I didn't think of you as my baby brother." Petunia giggled and kissed him on the cheek. "He has asked me to go to a party with him on New Years and I promised we would get together sometime before Christmas. I'm sure you will like him."

"Oh, that reminds me...James asked me to come to some ball at his house on New Years...I asked him if you could come but Lily hates him." Hermione gave her twin a pointed look.

"Not my fault. He's an arrogant twat." Lily scoffed and matched her sisters glare.

"So, you won't come with me?" Hermione pouted.

"Not on your life. This is a wonderful break from dealing with those two." Lily huffed impatiently. "You're more than welcome to go though. I won't complain, I'll stay here with Sev."

"No, I made a point of saying I won't go without my sisters. I really wanted to fly though. We only had 1 lesson and Sirius said those brooms were a joke." Hermione pouted, sitting back heavily in her chair.

"Don't remind me, I'm still traumatized." Lily growled as finished her sandwich.

"What's flying like?" Petunia asked excitedly, her blue eyes shimmering. It was one of the few things she really wanted to try and like a wand would never be able to.

"It was brilliant...well, if you could get the broom off the ground. James said those brooms had to be at least 20 years old." Hermione smiled wistfully.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Petunia asked quietly, the anxious twitch to protect her sisters flaring to life.

"We really didn't go high, just a slow loop around the quidditch pitch." Lily shrugged nonchalantly.

After lunch they went to attic to review the books they bought that morning. They talked excitedly about their favorite subjects. Petunia kept track and read all she could while her sisters were at school, not wanting to be left out. She was a little envious of her sisters magic but after discovering herbology, she didn't allow not being able to use a wand stand in her way of learning all about a world that accepted her sisters.


	17. Chapter 17

The Christmas holidays flew by quickly, Severus spent the rest of his holidays at the Evans' house. Petunia's boyfriend came by several times and was unnerved by the twins who decided to just watch him very closely. Petunia was very confused, not understanding why they were being so quiet. Alex, the blue eyed footballer who captured their sister's heart, later said he felt like they were scrutinizing his soul. Soon it was time to go back to school and they were all packed into a compartment together.

"Mya!" James called out happily threw the compartment door open with a bang. "I didn't hear much from you, not mad at us still...right?"

"No idea what your talking about. I was just busy terrorizing our sisters new boyfriend." Hermione replied with a sheepish grin, wishing to never think about sex again after the embarrassing and awkward conversation she had with her parents. "How was the New Years ball?"

"Pretty boring, Sirius and I just played a few pranks on my uncles." He flashed a cocky grin to Lily and Severus before plopping down beside Hermione. "So, Lily flower, what did you do to your sisters boyfriend?"

"It was actually quite Slytherin of them, they just stayed quiet and stared at him. Made him spill all his dirty secrets." Severus smirked, Lily huffed and hid behind a large tome on transfiguration.

"These girls are pure Gryfindor, you must be mistaken." James said with absolute certainty as he threw his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"You don't know them well enough. They are very cunning when they want to be." Severus sneered as he threw his arm around Lily, lifting up his chin defiantly. Lily shook her head as she glanced up and saw Severus glaring menacingly at James's arm.

"And yet they ended up in Gryfindor with us." Sirius said from the doorway with a smug smile on his face, Hermione rolled her eyes at their antics.

"I'm starting to think I should have asked to go hufflepuff." Hermione grinned at the affronted looks on all three boys faces.

"You wouldn't have lasted, you would have hexed all the 'Puffs before the feast was over." Lily giggled from behind her book.

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione growled and pulled the book from her sister's hands.

"Why nothing at all, Hermione Rose. You absolutely have the patience of a saint when dealing with dunderheads." Lily grinned innocently at her sister and fluttered her lashes. Severus chuckled, making Hermione throw the book at his chest.

"You are absolutely right, Lily Aster. I do have the patience of a saint otherwise, I would have smothered you in the womb." Hermione smirked triumphantly as her sister blushed to the roots of her hair.

"ASTER?!" The other occupants shouted. Hermione cackled as Lily snatched her book to hide behind.

"Seriously, what were your parents thinking when they named you guys?" Sirius asked incredulously as he moved to sit beside Hermione.

"This coming from the boy named after stars? His initials spelling out S.O.B.?" Hermione arched an incredulous brow. "although, I do agree with the sentiment."

"It's a family tradition! At Least I didn't get stuck with Regulous." Sirius shuddered dramatically as he watched James casually stretch and throw his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Mum likes flowers." Lily shrugged nonchalantly, keeping her face hidden as she leaned back in her seat.

"...and mum terrified dad while in labor. Apparently, the whole hospital could hear her screaming at him." Hermione laughed happily as she relaxed back against James.

"Your mum can be quite scary...actually, so can your dad." Severus shivered and closed his eyes, a grimace on his face.

"Oh please they are total softies." Hermione's smiled brightly, reaching around Sirius to throw a chocolate frog wrapper at her friend.

"Your dad had a private discussion with me before school. Apparently, you weren't supposed to talk to any boys until after graduation." Severus smirked as Lily and Hermione turned to gape at him incredulously.

"We talk to Mya everyday." James said defensively, his arm tightening around her shoulders.

"Oh yes, I know. I hope you're never alone with him." Severus smiled gleefully. James and Sirius exchanged uneasy looks.

"Sev...please, tell me you didn't mention James and broom sticks in the same sentence." Hermione said in a pained whisper and looked to her best friend hopefully.

"I may have mentioned private lessons with Potter and Black." Severus smiled innocently as he shrugged noncommittally. Hermione blushed and sunk into the seat while avoiding looking at James or Sirius, who were are red as the Gryffindor common room. Lily smacked Severus in the chest with her book with a scowl.

"Your dad is going to murder us, isn't he?" Sirius asked cautiously, looking between the sisters.

"Not sure, I've tried to explain to him that riding brooms is quite innocent and had nothing to do with sex. He just got all red and choked on his coffee. Then again, he never mentioned this talk with Sev." Lily glared at the best friend.

"What? He asked if you guys were making friends." Severus crossed his arm, defensively.

"And you just had to tell him I was offered private lessons from 2 boys?" Hermione said sarcastically and rolled her eyes as she scowled at Severus.

"He was quite happy with your choice in friends, Lily." Severus nudged her playfully, making Lily smile brightly.

"Traitor!" Hermione grumbled, plotting her revenge.


	18. Chapter 18

Lily threw herself into her studies after the holidays, demanding Hermione join her in the library at all hours. Reminding her daily of her promise to try on her end of year exams. Hermione would continue studying ahead instead, trying to appease her sister. Severus sat silently, afraid of setting Lily off.

"You know it's only the 21st of January, right?" Hermione asked apprehensively, keeping her eyes trained on her second year charms book. .

"I am aware." Lily responded curtly, turning her emerald eyes to glare at her twin.

"You know, I've drawn up a study schedule that gradually increases until the time of exams...you know so we don't get burnt out..." Hermione said tentatively, sliding the color coded planner over the table surface without looking up.

"You promised." Lily scowled, throwing he quill down in annoyance.

"Yes, I did and I fully intend on trying BUT we are already so far ahead...repeating the same thing we learned over a year ago..." Hermione trailed off, looking to their silent best friend for assistance.

"It's not healthy, Lils." Severus whispered harshly, his obsidian eyes narrowed as lily dramatically sat back in her chair with a huff.

"Exams are very important." Lily crossed her arms stubbornly, refusing to meet their gaze.

"Yes, and so is my fragile sanity. You won't let me read anything new, I can cast a wandless blue ball charm in my sleep as well as discuss the theory in depth...in my sleep." Hermione trailed off lamely, a grimace on her face.

"You can cast wandless?" Severus asked incredulously, his eyes widening comically as he turned away from Lily.

"Some things...when I know the charm well enough...can't you?" Hermione asked anxiously, chewing her lip as she looked between them.

"No." Lily and Severus answered immediately.

The last months of the year passed them in a haze. Lily had not backed down from her strenuous study schedule, no mater how much Severus and Hermione begged. Which meant she also held them captive in the library with her. Severus seemed to be happy to spend as much time away from the slytherin dorm room as possible. Hermione decided to master glamour charms so she could hide what books she was actually reviewing from her sister.

While she missed hanging around James and Sirius, they seemed to have moved on, making close friendships with their dorm mates. As she was buried under notes in the library it seemed the 4 first year boys had formed a very strong bond and were now inseparable. Hermione would watch them have loud conversations filled with laughter longingly as her sister shoved more notes under nose. How Severus got his hands on last years exams, she didn't want to know. She just wanted to hit him for giving her sister more material to memorize.

"How about we study outside today?" Hermione asked brightly as she hooked her arm around Lily, dragging her towards the main hall after their charms exam.

"Mya it's the last day of exams. We need to study." Lily said sternly as she tried to steer her sister towards the library. Hermione would not be cajoled and continued roughly dragging her sister out of the castle.

"I can't take it anymore, seriously. If you were any paler you would be green. We need vitamin D. One more exam this afternoon, that's it and we are done, on to second year! Also, it's bloody history, I'm sure you can recall all the dates of every goblin uprising without breaking a sweat!" Hermione chirped, pulling her sister to the lakes edge.

"We leave in 2 days are you sure there isn't anything you would like to read in the library?" Lily asked slyly as she pulled her history notes from her bag.

"Well...no! No! We have spent every day in the library. We have lots of books at home to read and we are going to Italy before Tuney goes on the retreat. I'm sure there's lots of interesting books we can get then." Hermione replied smugly as she pulled another glamoured transfiguration text from her bag.

"It will be worth it when we get our results back." Lily said said hotly but relaxed against her sisters shoulder, secretly pleased to enjoy the warm sun while she studied.

-0-

"So, where are the mudbloods, Snape?" Thoros Nott asked curiously as he sat beside the boy in the library. It was no secret Severus spent all his time with the Evans twins, which was a slap in the face to all the other slytherins.

"They will be here soon." Severus replied neutrally, keeping his gaze on his notes.

"Why do you bother with that filth?" Nott sneered, lazily flicking a piece of lint from his robes.

"Everyone serves their purpose." Severus turned the page idly, shooting glances at the entrance. The last thing he wanted was for his best friends to have to endure any of his house mates company.

"They have no purpose in our world." Nott said plainly, turning his eyes to watch Severus's reaction closely.

"If you haven't noticed they hold top spots in all courses this year." Severus trailed off, a sly smirk on his face as he scribbled something down.

"So, you need mudbloods to help you with your studies?" Nott asked harshly, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Of course, why else?" Severus smirked as Nott started to gather his things. His dorm mate left without a back wards glance and Severus let out a long suffering sigh as his shoulders slumped.

Unbeknownst to Severus 2 sets of eyes hardened as they listened to conversation. James and Sirius had left Severus out of most of their pranks, even targeted some Slytherins for harassing him because he seemed alright, for a snake. Without a word they turned to look at each other and nodded their heads in silent agreement, whatever tentative truce they had was off.


	19. Chapter 19

The next few years seemed to fly by for the twins. Petunia graduated valedictorian and was now studying at Cambridge. The sisters were still incredibly close, spending all of the holidays with each other. Severus was a permanent fixture around their house. Lily and Hermione were top students in their year, Hermione had slowly gotten her twin to the point that she didn't live in the library.

One of the few things that had changed was Black and Potter, Hermione still didn't understand what happened to the sweet boys she met in first year. After they came back second year they started to tease and bully Severus every chance they had. All their pranks centered on him. When she asked they weren't very forth coming with details, just stating he was a greasy git and deserved it. Hermione told them she wouldn't be friends with bullies and started a 6 month prank war with them.

Her poor sister was asked out almost everyday by Potter. He would loudly proclaim his undying love for her, even going so far as to propose marriage. Black was much more subtle, he would ask Hermione every Hogsmeade weekend if she would go with him. She would turn him down and he would go with his girlfriend of the week. The twins didn't understand what prank they were trying to play on them but they didn't like it one bit. Severus would continually warn them against spending time with the Gryffindor boys, he didn't seem to understand they avoided the marauders like the plague.

Severus hated all four of the boys but he seemed obsessed with Remus Lupin, always speculating about him. The twins would try to divert his attention but he was like a dog with a bone. Lily was the first to figure out he was a werewolf in their second year, she immediately went to her sister with her findings. She wanted to report him to him the headmaster right away but Hermione talked her out of it, predicting he already knew. They researched every thing they could on werewolves and none of it seemed to fit the shy boy at all. They read of monsters but Remus was always very quiet and nice to them.

After 2 years, the twins became unregistered animagi. Hermione convinced Lily they wouldn't really be breaking any laws unless they failed to register before coming of age. Petunia agreed, saying that it would only draw unwanted attention to them. They didn't even tell Severus that they could turn into white wolves. Petunia was terrified when she woke up to them on her bed one morning, they were very large with pure white fur and shiny emerald eyes.

Severus had started to hang around his housemates more, much to the dismay of the twins. They never saw him bullying people or saying any of the slurs his new friends did but he had started using dark magic. It frightened them when he would try and show off what he learned from his housemates. He claimed there was no such thing as dark magic, it was in the label. Hermione agreed to an extent, stating it was all about intent. While Lily thought it was all evil and Severus should turn them all in to the Headmaster before someone got hurt.

It was 2 weeks before returning to school for their fifth year and the twins were getting ready to see Hermione and Lily's favorite band, The Runaways. Severus had begged off, claiming he was going to a friends house. The twins decided to dress in identical, skin tight shredded black denim jeans, which Hermione altered so they lay low on their hips, knee high black boots, ripped band shirts that exposed the midriff, complete with spiked belts and bracelets. Lily was currently smudging Hermione's eyeliner while Hermione skillfully mussed her sister's hair.

Lily was practically vibrating as she bounced along with the music and used her fingers to smudge the black eyeliner. "I can't wait!"

"I know, I've been waiting for this show all summer. It's too bad Tuney couldn't come." Hermione pouted, turning to the mirror with an impressed smile.

"You know Tuney, Vernon likes disco so she likes disco." Lily sighed, looping her bag over her head.

"I don't understand her sometimes, you know this new boyfriend is a complete tool." Hermione huffed following her sister.

"I know, I don't know what she's thinking. That 'stache though" Lily giggled as they hailed the knight bus.

"Or his shoes, dear Merlin. Let's hope she dumps him before long." Hermione giggled and paid their attendant with a friendly smile.

"I suppose we don't have room to talk, at least Tuney can bloody well get a boyfriend." Lily pouted, laying her head on her sisters shoulder with a sigh.

"You could always marry Potter." Hermione smiled slyly, a tight feeling in her chest s she thought of the handsome chaser.

"Ugh, yeah right! Bleeding toe rag! I'll marry him the day you marry Black!" Lily cried and smacked her shoulder.

"Oh please, like that will ever happen. Enough talk about idiot boys." Hermione mumbled, uncomfortably. "Let's talk about the show!"

"You...don't...no! You don't like him do you?" Lily rounded on her sister as the bus arrived at their stop.

"Of course not! He's an arrogant bully!" Hermione cried, blushing furiously.

"Oh. My. God. You do!" Lily shouted bouncing down the steps before turning on her sister with a perturbed frown. "Why?!"

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Hermione huffed, pulling her sister to the line impatiently.

"Of course it matters! Don't tell me it's just his pretty face!" Lily teased, batting her eye lashes.

"Do you really think I'm so shallow? No, I don't know...it's just something about him, if he wasn't acting like a berk all the time. I've actually seen him helping some second years with their homework..." Hermione hid her face by searching her bag for their muggle money.

"Then...what's the problem?" Lily tilted her head to the side curiously.

"He's a bullying git and I have more self respect than most of the girls in our year." Hermione snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"Too true. We will have to find you a boyfriend this year, get you over this silly crush." Lily danced to the bouncer, showing off their glamoured I.D.s

"Whatever you say. Drinks?" Hermione asked quickly, not wanting to continue their conversation in the loud club.

-0-0-0-0-

 **So, I did say I would update weekly but I totally forgot with the holidays...and I got distracted. More to come!**


	20. Chapter 20

"I'm not sure how I feel about this..." Hermione trailed off, looking over the clothes her sisters picked out for her.

"It's time to start dressing like a girl. Seriously, I've seen the uniforms, they could be so cute but you wear them baggy like a homeless person!" Petunia sniffed, folding her sister's new altered clothes.

"They are comfortable!" Hermione huffed trying to grab her ratty jumper back from Lily.

"I get it but Tuney is right. We are going into 5th year, it's time to grow up." Lily laughed as she attacked their old clothes with scissors, much to the horror of her twin.

"Yeah, Lila told me about your little crush. Time for you to move on from the bullying toe-rag." Petunia snorted disdainfully and lounged across the bed, her head resting on scraps of what used to be Hermione's favorite pajamas.

"Speaking of toerags...how's Vernon?" Lily asked innocently, keeping her eyes on her work with a sly smile.

"Gone." Petunia replied shortly, not bothering to look at her sister's shocked faces.

"That was fast, he seemed quite smitten when we met him." Hermione smiled as she sorted through books, anything to keep her mind off of her twin destroying her favorite shirts.

"Oh yes, he was ready to propose. As long as I dropped out of school and became a good little house wife." Petunia chuckled darkly. "Oh, the best part...he works in the mail department of a small drill company."

"Seriously?" Lily exclaimed loudly, dropping the scissors onto the floor.

"Oh yes, he also said a few things about my darling sisters. I was about to feed him to green house." Petunia smiled wickedly, sitting up and looking around at the large piles of clothes speculatively.

"Thank Merlin, he was such a tool. What were you thinking?" Hermione shook her head with a wry grin.

"Well...he was so straight laced, you know? I kind of wanted to see what he was like out of his comfort zone?" Petunia smiled wickedly as she tiled her head to the side and started dividing the underwear.

"...and how did he handle being out of his comfort zone?" Lily smiled knowingly, the stocky man was the epitome of boring when he came to dinner. He droned for hours about a promotion he was absolutely guaranteed within the company then questioned spending so much money on a "foreign" education. Vernon attended Smeltings after all.

"He sputtered, face turned purple. I seriously thought he was going to have a stroke. He's also fair too concerned with that people think. Going out with him was a nightmare. I would have to be inspected, it was ridiculous." Petunia threw her hands up dramatically, rolling her eyes.

"You're gorgeous, what bloody inspection would you need to pass?" Hermione demanded incredulously.

"I don't know, it's like he wanted to make sure I fit in with all the people at his little club." Petunia sneered derisively as she threw handfuls of silk panties into the trunks.

"You're definitely better off, you didn't go to a single show this summer!" Lily said firmly as she quickly stuffed their panties into the side compartment. Her sister's turned to look at her in confusion and she rushed to explain with a scarlet face. "I don't trust Potter to not try and go through my trunk!"

"I can't believe we will be going into 5th year." Hermione hopped on the bed beside Petunia, wishing to change the subject.

"Maybe you should put off boyfriends for another year. OWLs are very important, right?" Petunia turned to the twins with a concerned frown.

"Oh yes, they determine what NEWT courses you can take. I asked Minnie and she said if you failed all your OWLs the only job you could really get was something like Filch." Hermione scrunched up her nose in disgust thinking of the ornery caretaker.

"...but Hermione has to get over this crush..." Lily trailed off with wicked grin.

"What if I said I had a crush on another boy, would you lay off?" Hermione asked hopefully, chewing her lower lip.

"Only if you tell me who? So you don't like Black anymore?" Lily pounced on her twin, pinning her to bed.

"Not exactly..." Hermione trailed off, not meeting her sisters eye.

"So, who? Spill!" Lily demanded, forcing her to look into her identical eyes.

"How come you never have to spill?!" Hermione demanded, trying to knock her sister off while Petunia smirked at them.

"You never asked!" Lily preened triumphantly as she stuck her tongue out at her twin.

"Then who?" Hermione arched a challenging brow.

Lily suddenly look unsure of herself as she sat up, still straddling her sister, looking up through her lashes she mumbled. "You'll make fun of me."

"Like you've been? Trust me, it can't be worse than the 2 boys I've liked for 3 years now." Hermione shrugged indifferently, even though she was burning with curiosity. They had only ever had one date each before, both ended in disaster. While Lily's date seemed to terrified to even speak to her, Hermione's had a terrible case of verbal diarrhea, asking all kinds of embarrassing and inappropriate questions. It ended with him covered in butter beer and a hex to the bullocks.

"Remus." Lily whispered, sucking in a breath as she closed her eyes, waiting for the outbursts of her sisters.

"Why the bloody hell would I make fun of that?! He's actually very sweet!" Hermione demanded hotly, looking at her sister incredulously.

"Well..he's a werewolf and he's never shown any interest..." Lily trailed off blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Go for it. I think you would get on great!" Petunia smiled brightly and pulled her sister in for a tight hug.

"Yes, Lily Flower, go for it!" Hermione wiggled her eyebrows with a lecherous grin.

"So, who's boy number 2?" Lily asked excitedly, wanting to hear who caught her twin's eye.

"Nope, not happening. You will mock me endlessly and it's a lost cause." Hermione trailed off diverting her eyes, a sad frown on her face.

Petunia grabbed onto her chin and forced her to look at her older sister as she was scrutinized. "And why are both the boys you fancy lost causes?" She asked softly, her blue eyes filled with concern.

"Well, Black only asked me out as a joke and..." Hermione stopped, blushing furiously as she tried to look away.

"...and?" Petunia pressed on eagerly, not relinquishing her hold.

"Not happening, let's talk about something else." Hermione hopped of the bed quickly, pulling random books for inspection.

"Fine..I will get it out of you on the train." Lily smiled brightly.

"Good luck with that." Hermione grumbled under breath.

-0-

Petunia was already at school by the time they would be heading back to Hogwarts. They quickly found a compartment and while Lily saved their seats, Hermione was on a mission. She danced through the throngs of crowds looking for the lanky boy who was the object of her sisters affection. Maybe she could at least get her to talk to the poor boy and stop trying to find out who she she fancied. Girls could dream, right? She sighed miserably before she found the sandy haired boy talking to his friends on the platform.

"WOLFIE!" She cried, making the boys whip around to look at the tiny red head. Hermione skipped to the marauders, smiling brightly.

"Hey...Mya. Good holiday?" Remus asked nervously, shooting glances to his stunned friends. It wasn't a secret the Evans twins avoided them like the plague since the marauders turned their skin gold during the great prank war in second year.

"Brilliant! Lily and I went to see the runaways! As well as a few other smaller shows. You like punk?" She stepped closer, tilting her head to the side. The boys behind him were gob smacked by her behavior and taste of music. James and Sirius exchanged a glance before turning back to look the girl over from head to toe in obvious appreciation.

"Sure, I like the clash.." Remus trailed off nervously, his eyes automatically darting to Sirius to gauge his reaction.

"You like punk?!" Sirius stepped forward, looking her up and down a wicked smile, making her blush.

"Of course!" Hermione chirped, trying to fight the urge to gaze at him. "Oh but Lily loves The Clash, actually would you mind coming to join us?" She smiled brightly at the nervous boy.

"Uh...sure!" He said uncertainly as he shot glances back to his friends now angry faces. Hermione hooked her arm around Remus and pulled him along to their compartment without a backwards glance.

"What the hell was that?!" Sirius hissed angrily. Watching them hustle through the crowds.

"I dunno...you don't suppose Mya fancies Remus, right?" James asked suspiciously, his hazel eyes narrowed dangerously as Remus shoved his hand into his pockets to avoid touching the redhead at his side.

"It looks like it." Peter squeaked, watching his friends reactions closely. Sirius and James exchanged a long glance.

"Marauder code." They said together, before heading into the train to find a compartment.


	21. Chapter 21

Severus was already in the compartment when Hermione lead Remus in behind her. Hermione pushed him into the open seat beside Lily and flopped down heavily beside Severus with a smirk. The Slytherin's face was clouded with hostility as he regarded the normally shy boy, who was glancing at the girl by his side with pink cheeks. Remus looked between the the other people in compartment and felt uneasy.

"So, I was just telling Remus about the shows we went to this summer, Lils. It turns out he loves The Clash!" Hermione smiled brightly at her blushing sister, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh? Me too. What courses are you taking this year?" Lily looked up at Remus shyly, picking safe topic. It was well know he was the only one of his friends who actually knew where the library was.

"All the core...arithmacy, runes, and care of magical creatures." He furrowed his brow, confused at the sudden change of subject.

"Me too. I kind of wanted to take divination but eh..." Lily trailed off, glancing at her sister before pulling one of her new books out her bag to show Remus. Hermione turned to Severus with a satisfied grin.

"What's going on?" Severus hissed in a low voice so only she could hear, his eyes burning with rage.

"Ummm, Lily wanted to talk to him. Why? Is something the matter?" Hermione put her hand on his, eyes full of concern. He took a deep calming breath as he looked down at her hand.

"I guess not..." He trailed off, looking at Remus and Lily engrossed in some debate about a book, oblivious to them.

"So how was you summer, Sev? We hardly saw you at all. Tuney is getting annoyed. She doesn't think you like her anymore." Hermione pouted but it quickly turned to a smirk when she saw the flash of panic in his eyes.

"No! I mean, I had a lot of fun...I was just with some friends most of the summer. You know, in the country side and all." He shrugged helplessly, trying to seem nonchalant and indifferent.

"Oh, who?" Hermione asked curiously, tilting her head to the side as she regarded her best friend closely. She could see the changes in him, he was still ghostly pale but everything about him was cloaked in darkness. After third year one of his fellow Slytherins took an interest in him, bought him new robes and stuck up for him in the dungeons. Severus seemed colder, more distant the older they got and it made the twins sad to think he was pulling away. Petunia tried to blame it on hormones but Hermione couldn't shake the feeling it was something more sinister.

"Just some housemates, we all got together. Skipped between everyone's houses." Severus said idly, still watching Lily and Remus from the corner of his eyes.

"You better come for Christmas, otherwise Tuney may need to do something drastic." Hermione said lightly, plastering a bright smile on her face to cover the obvious threat.

"I promise. No avoiding you guys." Severus smiled warmly but there was still an hard glint in his eyes that made her nervous.

"Oh! Prefect meeting." Lily popped up suddenly, looking to Remus with a shy smile. "Remus, coming?"

"Sure, see you guys" Remus smiled shyly before following Lily without a backwards glance.

"I'm so good." Hermione hummed as she pulled a heavy book from her rucksack.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked suspiciously, his eyes still on the door as if he expected them to come back at any moment.

"Ah, well...Lily won't stop bugging me to find out who I fancy so...I decided to give her another friend." Hermione smiled slyly behind her book.

"Does Lily fancy Lupin?!" Severus demanded loudly, his face scrunched up in disgust.

"You know, I don't think the drunks at the leaky heard you, you ponce." Hermione growled as she turned her emerald eyes up to glare at her best friend.

"You didn't answer my question!" Severus's voice got high pitched in his panic and he lost all color in his face.

"So, what? I think this is the longest they have talked outside the library." Hermione shrugged, turning back to her book.

"There's something wrong with him! All of them! You can't seriously be thinking of talking to any of them!" Severus pulled he book away to glare her, making the petite redhead sputter indignantly.

"There is nothing wrong with him! Why are you so bloody barmy about it?" Hermione demanded, trying to take her book back but he held it above his head and out of arms reach.

"They are constantly tormenting me, they sneak out all the time. They are up to something Mya! I don't understand why you associate with any of them!" Severus snapped heatedly with pink tinged cheeks.

"If you haven't noticed, I don't talk to any of them BUT if I wanted to, I would. You are not someone who can dictate who I interact with!" She all but shrieked in his face.

"Why are you so daft?! Are you going to join Potter and Black's fan clubs next? Will I find you in broom closet with one of them?! Both of them?! You know they won't keep you. They'll just use you up because that's what pure bloods do with mu-muggleborns!" Severus sneered nastily. Almost immediately he regretted his words as he saw tears in her emerald eyes.

"Get out." Hermione sat back in her seat, lowering her head so her face was hidden by a veil of red hair.

"Mya...wait.." He struggled, raising his hands to grasp her shoulders but she flinched away.

"Get out." She said softly, her voice eerily calm as she refused to look at him.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't me-" He tried desperately to get her to look at him but was cut off as Hermione snapped her wand up and he was thrown from the compartment. Twin flashes of light, and he was on his backside looking up at her. Her eyes were a blaze with anger, she raised her wand again and silently hexed him, his face in searing pain.

 _PILLOCK_

Spelled out on his forehead in painful pustules was the word pillock. She ground her teeth as she stood over him, looking like some avenging angel. His eyes widened in shock and a little fear.

"Unless you want more, I would suggest you go play with your dorm mates." Hermione said in a deceptively calm voice. She turned and slammed the door behind her as she furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks.


	22. Chapter 22

Hermione was alone for the rest of the ride to hogwarts. When she left her compartment she noticed her classmates pointing and whispering. Shouldn't she be used to it by now? Bloody magical world, always pointing out that she different. She was pulled from her thoughts by a hand grabbing her roughly by the arm and turning her around.

"What did you do to Sev?" Lily demanded, her face red with anger and her wand already in hand.

"Have you talked to Severus?" Hermione asked neutrally, looking over her shoulder she saw Remus and his friends rushing to catch up.

"No, he ran away from me! It's all through the train though. So, what did you do to him?" Lily snarled angrily as she took in her sister's infuriatingly calm exterior.

"He deserved it, the bloody ponce." Hermione whispered and pulled her sister along with her.

"So, what did he do to deserve it? Will it fade? What the hell did you do to his face?" Lily cried out in confusion as her sister roughly pulled her along.

"Is it so hard to believe a teenage boy might get a little acne?" Hermione shrugged innocently, his words still echoing in her head.

"They are boils that spell out pillock! What could he possibly do to deserve that?" Lily shrieked as she rounded on Hermione with a glare.

"What are you trying to say? I overreacted?" Hermione hissed defensively, her hands fisted on her hips as she stood toe to toe with her twin.

"I would if I knew what the bloody hell happened!" Lily growled through clenched teeth as she waved her arms above her head dramatically.

"I don't want to talk about it right now..." Hermione sighed and looked over her shoulder to see the marauders with matching maniacal smiles.

"Oh. My. Merlin. You didn't tell him about-" Lily was cut off by Hermione's hand over her mouth and she pushed them forward.

"You know, when you told me about the boy you fancy, I didn't mention it in front of said boy. Instead I made an opportunity for you to get to know him." Hermione hissed venomously as they got into a carriage.

"So, anyone know what happened between Snape and Mya?" James asked as he threw an arm around Sirius.

"They were fine when I was in there with them..."Remus trailed off looking between his friends.

"Yeah, so what was that about? Mya doesn't talk to us anymore. Why would she drag you along to her compartment?" Sirius asked suspiciously, looking at his friend with a stern glare.

"I'm not sure, really. I didn't talk to her after we got there. Lily was showing me this really interesting book. I ended up doing rounds with her the whole trip." Remus said with a small wistful smile.

"Ooo Remmy likes Evans!" Peter snickered behind his hand as he elbowed the taller boy.

"No, nothing like that. She's actually very nice. I can see why James likes her so much." Remus said nervously, shooting the message haired boy a rueful smile.

"She's alright, I suppose. If you like her Remus..." James shrugged indifferently and smiled at his friend.

"You've been asking her to marry you everyday for two years." Remus looked at him skeptically.

"Marauders never fight for over women!" Sirius interjected with a devilish grin as he rubbed his hands together.

"Why would we need to? Look at us." James finished with a cocky smile.

"That's all well and good but I think you guys are reading too much into it. She's still all yours James." Remus stopped short as they entered the hall to see both the twins smiling at him.

"Well, looks like they both like Remus!" Peter laughed gaily. James and Sirius looked between Remus and the twins with frowns.

"Mya is still mine." Sirius grumbled as he walked past the twins and started flirting with a bubbly fourth year.

"Mya! Have I told you how lovely you look today?" James sauntered over to her with a lopsided grin, keeping his hands in his pockets to stop himself from fidgeting.

"No, I thought you reserved those cheesy lines for my sister, Potter." Hermione glared at the tall boy.

"Usually but today you look ravishing." He winked before joining Sirius and his friends.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Lily hissed, looking at her sister incredulously.

"I think all the boys took stupid pills today." Hermione grumbled as she watched the sorting, purposefully not glancing down the table where James and Sirius were openly flirting with some sixth year girls.

"Do you think Potter is done tormenting me? He didn't even look at me." Lily smiled hopefully, watching as James placed his arm around a curly haired brunette but his hazel eyes kept darting to where they were sitting.

"Yes, it appears your torment is over...or on hold for today." Hermione snapped, seeing a fourth year practically fall over herself to and Sirius a pitcher of pumpkin juice.

"Oi! I've been praying for this day for 2 years. Don't get all snappy on me!" Lily huffed as she looked at her sister closely to find her jaw clenched. "So, who's the other mystery boy?"

"No one. I like no one. I have decided after school to join a nunnery." Hermione looked sadly at her plate before pushing it away.

"Sure, whatever you say." Lily rolled her eyes and started tearing apart a roll.


	23. Chapter 23

Hermione's plan worked better than she could have possibly hoped. Lily was now studying with Remus almost every night and James had stopped proposing...to Lily. She was so perplexed how they always seemed to be able to find her. It seemed Black and Potter were working together on this new joke of asking her out every day. She growled as she ducked into an abandoned class room to try and avoid them again. Absentmindedly she set up wards to keep them away.

Severus had been unable to approach her, it was the only good thing about Black and Potter's joke. They acted as a shield, a wonderful shield that gave her a head ache. She still had not told Lily what Severus said to her. The guilt ate at her, she did not keep things from her sister. She rationalized that she was doing it to preserve Lily's friendship with Severus, her loyal sisters would never forgive him. They were infamous at holding a grudge, especially Lily. Just as the she pulled her homework out of her rucksack the classroom door exploded open and there stood Black and Potter. She had never seen Black so angry before, his grey eyes were molten silver as he ground his teeth.

"Well?!" Sirius exploded as he stalked stiffly to the desk.

"Well, what?" Hermione blinked, unsure of what he was so angry about.

"Would you like to explain the wards on the room?" Sirius whispered harshly as he leaned over the desk, his face only inches from his own.

"What about them?" Hermione snapped, leaning away from him, her mind feeling fuzzy when he got too close.

"How the fuck do you know them?" Sirius hissed. Hermione looked to James to see if he had any indication what was wrong but he looked just as confused.

"I have been told I'm quite bright when it suites me...what's your problem?" Hermione asked anxiously, her green eyes flicking back up to defiantly meet his glare.

"Those were Black wards." Sirius whispered dangerously as he leaned closer, staring into her eyes.

"I don't think so..." Hermione trailed off uncertainly, how would she possibly know Black wards?

Sirius smiled grimly and barked out a hollow laugh as he watched her fidget. "Oh, yes. They are. I have been trained in the family magic since expelled from the dragon. Now, tell me how you know those wards."

"I must have read them in a book. I wasn't even thinking when I threw them up!" She cried defensively as she nearly fell out of her seat to get away from him. Hermione had never seen Sirius Black angry before, she witnessed him endure snide remarks from his family, howlers, and actual duels with Slytherins but never had she seen such animosity in his eyes.

"Impossible, our wards are heavily guarded. Most of our magic is only found in the family grimoire. So, again, who told you?" Sirius spat rounded the desk in three long strides and invaded her personal space.

"What's a grimoire?" Hermione asked in confusion as she took a hesitant step back.

"It's an ancient tome, passed down to heirs of Ancient and Noble Houses. The information inside is heavily guarded secrets and magic created and protected by the family." James offered in a light voice behind them, Hermione looked around the looming figure to see messy haired chaser trying to sport an easy smile but his worried gaze was trained on her.

"Well, I've never seen it so obviously those wards are not as exclusive as you believe. I have a lot of books from my vault. They are hundreds of years old, I'm sure I got it from one of those." Hermione said confidently and tried to move around him. Sirius reached an arm around her waist and pulled her back, flush to his chest.

"No, they are made by a Black. Try again." Sirius growled in her ear. James stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him.

"I..I..don't know. I really wasn't paying attention when I cast them. I was just thinking I wanted a few hours away from everyone. I won't use them again." Hermione whispered, her heart beating erratically as she looked up at him with a little fear.

"I think that's enough Padfoot." James tried to pry his arm away from her but Sirius tightened his grip on her hip.

"You've never been in the family library? Not making friends with Reggie?" Sirius asked skeptically, eying her closely and seeing the the fear she was trying to mask with bravado. His grip loosened and he felt the heavy weight of guilt on his chest as he realized she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I'm not the beacon of popularity you make me out to be, Black. Do you really think I would visit your mother for tea?" Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled away. Making a dramatic show of smoothing down her robes in disgust she took another step away from the Gryffindor boys.

"It's just...my whole family is dark...when I saw you cast those wards...I thought." Sirius trailed off uncomfortably, fully aware of the pointed glare James was giving him.

"I get it. Maybe you can end this little prank on me, hmm? Go back to tormenting Snivellus?" Hermione smirked as she grabbed bag and made for the door.

"What prank?" James followed her, his brow scrunched up in confusion as he regarded her closely. She flipped her hair over her shoulder letting him get a whiff of her familiar scent as she rolled her eyes at them.

"Whatever this joke your making by asking me out all this time?" Hermione picked up the pace, practically running for the common room.

"She thinks we are joking..." Sirius trailed off uncertainly as they watched her sprint away.

"Why would she think that?" James asked with a raised brow, tucking his hands into his pockets,

"Birds are barmy." Sirius shrugged indifferently, he knew they would get her eventually.

"So, she told us to torment Snivellus...she called him Snivellus..."James trailed off, a goofy smile blooming on his face.

"What do you think he did to her? She has always thrown herself between anyone and her precious Snivvelly..." Sirius ground his teeth, jealousy simmering just below the surface thinking of all the time he saw them so affectionate with each other.

"He still has the boils on his face. Must have been bad." James whistled appreciatively as he tapped his lips speculatively.

"Think her sister knows?" Sirius asked as they started to walk to the library.

"Definitely. Think we should try to get it out of her or send Moony?" James smirked and he sauntered past a group of giggling girls. His strut was cocky as he puffed out his chest and gave them a dramatic wink.

"Maybe...that's why she thinks it's a prank..." Sirius's face lit up with sudden understanding.

"What?" James whipped his head back to look at Sirius.

"Well...all the birds. I mean, we have done a fantastic job of claiming her. No one will cross a marauder to ask her on a date. The few that have tried..." Sirius laughed maliciously, thinking of the sputtering Benji Fenwick as he asked if it would be possible to date both Evans twins at the same time. Oh, she was so quick to hex him, he thought fondly remembering the way her emerald eyes seemed to glow with rage as she tossed her drink in his face.

"Which...I'm pretty sure if she ever found out, she would probably claim our bollocks." James shifted uneasily as they entered the library, his eyes darting to the familiar table their friend took over.

"She's smart, she knows purebloods customs. Really, the only thing we haven't done is approached her parents and gotten her to say yes." Sirius shrugged nonchalantly as he swaggered towards the pair deep in conversation over a dusty old book.

"Yet, she still thinks it's a prank. Maybe I shouldn't have went for her sister?" James shoved his hands in pockets, grimacing as if he had a sudden unwelcome epiphany.

"We can tell her eventually...it was a way to protect them both. It had to end eventually." Sirius huffed and then suddenly smiled. "Well, look who it is! Moonpie!" He hastily dropped into a seat across from his friend and the startled redhead.

"Lily flower! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?" James smiled cockily as he sat across from her, placing his chin in his hands as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. A low growl from Remus made him pause and sit up straight, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"I was fine...till you showed up." Lily sneered and started hurriedly packing her supplies.

"Wait! We are not here to bother you. Only a friendly chat." Sirius smiled charmingly. Remus scowled, he had almost a full month of uninterrupted study time with Lily. James gave him his blessing to get closer to the pretty prefect and he was disturbed at their sudden intrusion.

"Since when have either of you been friendly?" Lily snapped, not bothering to look at them.

"Always. When have we treated you as anything less than the precious gem you are?" James asked innocently, his hazel eyes sparkling with mirth. He loved riling the red headed twins up, while Hermione was definitely top choice, her sister was a close second. Their reactions never failed to entertain him.

"What do you guys want?" Remus huffed impatiently as he put his arm possessively around Lily's shoulder to keep her in place.

"What did Snivellus do to Mya?" Sirius asked bluntly, watching lily closely for a reaction.

"Nothing." Lily snapped impatiently and practically threw Remus's arm off her. Just because she fancied him did not mean he could force her to endure the company of his friends.

"Oh really? Then why would she-" James was silenced by Sirius's hand on his arm.

"What? What did she do to him?" Lily demanded, pausing for just a moment as she went to stand.

"She hasn't done anything to him recently to my knowledge." Sirius said innocently as she slowly lowered herself back into her seat to look between them suspiciously.

She eyed them shrewdly for a moment, the strap of her ruck sack held in a white knuckle grip. "Then why are you so interested?"

"We just wondered why you weren't more upset on your sisters behalf is all. Thought you guys were tight is all." James shrugged nonchalantly as he ran his fingers threw his already messy hair, making it look windswept.

"Lily doesn't need to answer to either of you. It's between Mya and Snape. Walk you back to commons?" Remus stood up and offered her a hand. She accepted with a tight lipped smile and stalked from the library without a glance back.

"Mya or Snivellus?" James asked speculatively as he watched them leave.

"Do you really need to ask?" Sirius looked at him like he was stupid.

Lily rushed to the girls dormitory to find her sister on her bed with the curtains pulled. Hermione was pouring over a notebook with a worried expression on her face.

"What did you do to Severus?" Lily asked as she sat beside her sister.

"I haven't talked to him since the train ride." Hermione replied absently as she scribbled in her journal.

"Why did Black and Potter corner me in the library?" Lily demanded, looking over her shoulder to see what she was writing.

"Black caught me using his family wards...which apparently are not taught to anyone outside the family...how did I know them?" Hermione whispered, looking up at her sister, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"I don't know, you always know things..." Lily trailed off uneasily as she wrapped a comforting arm around her sister.

"Sometimes, I wish I didn't. I'm not normal, Lils...why can't I be normal?" Hermione whispered into her sisters shoulder.

"You are Hermione Evans, you are brilliant and perfect just the way you are. Just because you are different doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. " Lily said in a soothing voice as she stroked her hair.

"How do I know these things? Tuney has always forced me to accept it but I really want to know." Hermione sat up hurriedly wiping away her tears.

"Would it really help?" Lily asked bluntly looking into her sister's red, puffy eyes. "Do you really think the answer will give you peace? Take away the nightmares?"

"But it's so confusing!" Hermione whinged, her face crumpling as she looked back to her journal.

"Maybe one day it will make more sense but I think you just need to let it come. I think the dreams, your knowledge, your instincts...it's all connected. I'm not sure how but I just know it will all work out, for now though...I need you promise me you won't dwell on it." Lily lifted Hermione's chin to look directly into her matching eyes.

"I promise." Hermione said solemnly as she closed her tattered journal.

"Now, tell me about Sev." Lily sat back and watched her, her eyes filled with concern.

"I don't want to talk about it." Hermione said bluntly and started putting her notes away.

"Well, I do. It was very harsh and I would like to think you wouldn't do it unless he deserved it...I also like to think Sev would never do anything to warrant it." Lily chewed her lip uncertainly.

Hermione's shoulders drooped in defeat and she took a deep breath before looking at her sister. "He did and I know he has tried to talk to me but I've been hiding behind Potter and Black...like a coward."

"Do you want to hear it?" Lily arched a brow inquisitively, taking a silky lock of her sisters hair in her fingers to idly twirl it.

"I do but he was so harsh. I've never heard him like that before."she bit her lip as her best friend's words echoed in her head.

"I'll ask Remus to hold the prats at bay while you talk to him tonight." Lily hopped from the bed smiling brightly.

"So...Remus..." Hermione turned on her sister, smiling coyly, wishing to change the subject.

"He's even nicer than I thought. When he's away from those berks, he's very thoughtful and intelligent." Lily smiled softly, blushing.

"Have you kissed him?" Hermione smirked.

"No, I don't think he really likes me as more than a friend..." Lily trailed off dejectedly.

"I've seen those looks he gives you." Hermione snorted, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What looks?" Lily wondered, her eyes were wide as she looked to her sister innocently.

"Like Wolfie wants to jump over the table and claim you in the middle of the great hall." Hermione laughed as her sister blushed to the roots of her hair.

-0-0-0-

 **Happy birthday Chibi!**

 **Mya does not like Sev. Just thought I should throw that out there.**


	24. Chapter 24

After dinner, Hermione made her way down the to the lake. Lily immediately sprang into action, storming the Slytherin table. She turned her nose up at all the harsh glares as she roughly pulled Severus up and out of the great hall behind her. Remus took his cue to forcefully drag James and Sirius behind him to common room. As they protested, he silenced the with a sharp glare. Peter, left forgotten, decided to change into his animagus form and follow them out onto the grounds.

"What happened between you and Mya?" Lily asked, startling the pale boy who was staring down at their joined hands with a pensive look on his face.

"She didn't tell you?" Severus paused, completely surprised as he raised his eyes to meet her concerned gaze.

"No, she always said she didn't want to talk about it and with Potter and Black around..." Lily trailed off uncomfortably, flushing a little at the sudden,y intense look her best friend was giving her.

"I insinuated she was a slag...a worthless slag." Severus scowled and followed along as Lily pulled him out onto the silent grounds.

"You do realize she's never even kissed s boy,right?" Lily asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, I just lost my temper...I didn't mean it." Severus said hurriedly, grimacing as he thought back to the hurt he saw in her eyes.

"Well, tell her that." Lily smiled bringing them to where Hermione was sitting on a rock, facing the lake. Lily quickly kissed Severus on the cheek and rushed back to the castle, leaving them alone.

"Come here so I can get the boils off your face. I really didn't mean for it to go on this long. I'm sorry." Hermione said softly as she waved her wand over Severus's face, leaving the skin on his forehead clear and blemish free.

"I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't think you would be so upset about it..." Severus trailed off awkwardly, moving to sit beside her. He lapsed into silence as he stared at his folded hands in his lap, unsure what to say.

"It's fine...I just don't need any reminders, you know?" Hermione smiled sadly as she turned back to the lake.

"Reminders?" Severus asked hesitantly, looking at her to find a sad frown on her normally smiling face.

"That I'm different. I'm a bit too freakish...not pretty like my sisters. I know what I am Severus, I just hoped I would never have to hear it from someone I think of as a brother. Not quite good enough..." Hermione trailed off, refusing to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Severus asked incredulously. Hermione merely shrugged. "Seriously, what the fuck are you on about? You're gorgeous, brilliant, half of Slytherin has been panting after you for over a year."

"Yeah, right." Hermione smiled sardonically "I'm a mudblood, remember?"

"Doesn't change the fact your top of your classes, beautiful, kind, and funny. Those old rumors never quite died you know. My housemates are convinced you and Lily are secret heiresses to the founders or something." Severus snorted derisively, thinking about all the things he heard in the dorms and common room. He would never tell them the foul things his house mates said about them.

"Merlin" Hermione said softly after a moment of silence.

"I know, ridiculous, right" Severus laughed outright,needling lighter than he had in weeks.

"No, Merlin Emrys..."Hermione glanced up at Severus with trepidation, holding her breath as she waited for his reaction.

"You're joking." Severus stared at her disbelief.

"Nope, goblins tested me. Lily and I are the first magical descendants of Merlin for many many years." Hermione chewed her bottom lip, nervously.

"I've known you for 6 years and you never thought to mention you were a descendant of bloody Merlin?!" Severus cried, outraged that they wouldn't tell him. He knew they were secretive and paranoid. Especially Petunia, in her opinion everyone was out to take her sister's away, not that he could blame them. He was cruel, telling them stories of reclaimed muggleborns who were snatched away from their muggle families.

"It never came up?" Hermione grimaced sheepishly as she looked up into his obsidian eyes.

"Well, I guess with Tuney...she wouldn't have wanted it to get out, right?" Severus smiled slightly

"Got it in one. We haven't even told our parents. That's where all those super old tomes came from. Tuney's bracelet, few other pieces...you can't tell anyone." Hermione turned nervously, glancing back at the school and Severus nodded curtly.

"Do I look like a dunderhead?" Severus looked affronted.

"Sorry, I'm just used to secrecy by now, I guess." Hermione murmured.

"So, tell me more." Severus smiled and nudged her shoulder.

"Not much to tell really. Found a lot of shite, some good tomes and scrolls. A fair amount of gold. Not living rich forever but it's a nice nest egg if need be. We have been putting more of our money down there...you know Tuney." Hermione giggled, thinking wistfully of her sisters grand escape plans, most deviated from films they watched.

"I'm sorry, if I haven't been around much lately. It's just being accepted by all these old families, being taught by them...it's different and nice." Severus muttered sagely.

"You know we won't fault you for wanting to learn things Sev but some of the people you have started to hang around with. They are evil." Hermione shook her head in disgust.

"What about Potter, Black, and Lupin?!" Severus sputtered indignantly, looking at her with wide eyes.

"What about them!?" Hermione turned on him with narrowed eyes, her face flushing to the roots of her hair.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath before he looked at her with something a kin to pity. "You know they only want one thing, Mya. Once they get it..."

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph give me strength to deal with the bloody numpties!" Hermione shrieked to the night sky, making Severus jump. "I'm not sure how to make this clear. Black and Potter think it's a big joke to propose and make me uncomfortable. I avoid them like the bleeding plague. Remus seems like a sweetheart. He's never raised his wand to you, ever."

"They fancy you. They want you and Lily. Probably for some nefarious purposes. They are always sneaking around, sneaking out at night. Always up to something. I don't want you hanging around them!" Severus cried desperately, encasing her delicate hands in his own.

"If they did fancy us, which they don't, they lost any chance the moment they targeted you. I don't know how to make it any clearer to you. I get this protective brother routine, I get it but you are blatantly ignoring the fact that Lily and I have hexed them more than you have." Hermione sighed after taking a deeply, shuddering breath.

"But really-" Severus started again and was cut off by Hermione's animalistic, frustrated shriek.

"Severus, I'm done with this. I have told you. If you say one more thing about those poncy gits, I will hex your manhood." Hermione growled. "We were friends in first year, they picked on you second year and I haven't spoken a civil word to Potter and Black since!"

"What about Lupin?" Severus asked tentatively, letting go of her hands to discreetly cover himself in fear.

"Give it up, please?!" Hermione whined and threw herself into his arms dramatically hugging him tightly.

"Fine, I'll stop...for tonight. Only because I fear what you may do to me." Severus chuckled into her hair as she gave a sigh of relief.

"So, now you know all our drama. What has been happening in the snake pit?" Hermione rested her head on his shoulder with a sly smirk.

"Not much, someone let lose some Cornish pixies in the common room. It was a disaster, first years crying all over the place." Severus scowled making Hermione giggled. "You think it's funny?"

"Well...it's pixies.." Hermione said with a wry smile as she sat up covered her mouth with her hands.

"They terrified first years and it took us hours to round them all up!" Severus cried indignantly, his cheeks stained pink as she continued to laugh at his plight.

She was silent for a moment as she couldn't mask her surprise until she howled with laughter, falling into him as she choked out, "Hours? Why?"

"There were a lot of us summoning them and trying to catch them to place them in a box but they kept getting out." Severus whinged as he pushed her away petulantly.

"This from the house of cunning?" Hermione shook her head in mock disappointment, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"Like you could have done much better?" Severus snorted as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, pretty positive I could have." Hermione winked and hopped off the rock, dusting herself off.

"Just pray tell how would you have handled 2 dozen pixies?" Severus demanded sourly as he got up to follow her.

"One spell." Hermione smiled wickedly practically skipping away from him as they made their way back to the castle.

"No bloody way. I don't care who your great great great greaaattt grandfather is. No way!" Severus's laughter echoed through the grounds as he chased offer her.

"Whatever you say, Sev. Pixies may be pesky but it's not hard. One day, I'll prove it." Hermione grabbed his hand smiling. "I'm glad we aren't fighting anymore. Best friends?" Hermione smiled and opened her arms.

"Always." Severus pulled her to him and swung her around, smiling more than he had in weeks.

-0-0-0-

 **I'm kind of on a roll...so, enjoy!**


	25. Chapter 25

Peter ran ahead to the boys dorm to relay everything he heard. Merlin?! Really?! He couldn't believe it. Lily had always been so nice to him, Mya seemed wary of him, probably because of James and Sirius. He was not nearly as cruel as them but he never turned down a chance to hex that greasy git, especially after all the times he heard him with his friends. Peter would never allow someone to call his friends names and call muggleborns mudbloods, especially if his two best mates were. He transformed when he got in the room to see James, Sirius, and Remus huddled over the map probably planning on ambushing their favorite greasy git.

"Stop! Whatever your doing, stop!" Peter shouted out as he took a deep breath.

"Where you been wormy?" Sirius asked as he lounged on his bed, throwing his feet in James's lap.

"I followed them. I heard their entire conversation." Peter panted as he plopped down next to Remus.

"So, they made up?" James said with a frown.

"Yep, and she said...a lot of things I don't think I was supposed to hear..." Peter trailed off uneasily, chewing his nails as he looked to his best friends anxiously.

"Like what?" Sirius popped up eagerly, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"Wait, maybe you shouldn't..." Remus hedged, thinking about how evasive Lily was when he questioned her about her sister.

"No, what did you hear. She's not like with him now is he?" James asked as his face contorted in disgust, his heart nearly beating out of his chest at the very thought. Unbidden images of the petite Gryffindor wrapped into his greasy arms made his stomach wretch.

"No, just something's about her that was private...her and Lily. A secret she hadn't told the slime ball and they have been friends for 6 years." Peter said slowly, taking a moment to look at each of the boys in turn.

"Is it bad?" Remus asked nervously, thinking that maybe it somehow had to do with his secret but brushed it away as ridiculous. Lily wouldn't study with him if she knew.

"No, it's actually bloody awesome but she seemed like she didn't even really want to tell him. Like her and her sisters agreed they would keep it to themselves...not even their parents know." Peter stared at his lap, conflicted. He had no loyalty to the twins and these were his best mates but Hermione obviously never meant to be overheard.

"Don't tell us." Remus said sternly. Peter looked to James and Sirius and saw the same conflicted look on their faces.

"He's right, is there anything you can tell us?" James smiled grimly, the nausea slowly receding.

"Yeah, you lost your chance with them as soon as you targeted Snivellus." Peter sneered in disgust.

"Seriously?!" James and Sirius exclaimed loudly, both looking completely scandalized.

"Yeah, he kept droning on and on about how you would only use them. Even Moony! She defended Moony though, it was weird. He kept hinting there was something wrong with him and Mya would start yelling at him to leave him alone because he was a sweetheart." Peter smirked as Remus's cheeks tinged pink.

"Wait, does Mya like Moony?" James demanded, turning to glare accusingly at his friend.

"Not sure to be honest...she pretty much begged him to shut up about us though. So, if you want a shot, you have to leave him alone." Peter shrugged, not at all happy.

"If only they knew!" Sirius growled, thinking to the many times they attempted to lead Hermione and Lily into traps so the could hear the file things the Slytherins said while their so-called best friend remained silent.

"I know, how could they not know their best mate is evil!" James threw himself down next to Sirius, a childish pout on his face.

"Well, he never misses an opportunity to hex us...maybe we can show them?" Remus smiled mischievously

"Oh, Moonpie, you are so the brains!" Sirius cried happily, hope shimmering in his eyes.

"And what would we do with out Wormie and his intelligence gathering skills?" James clapped smiling smugly as Peter stood to take a dramatic bow.

"So, how's everything going with Lily, Moony?" Peter asked slyly as he sat down heavily beside his werewolf friend and took a chocolate frog from the large bin he kept on his shelf above his bed.

"We talk everyday. She's really sweet, nothing will ever happen." Remus shrugged dismissively, attempting to hide his disappointment,.

"Why?" Peter looked at him genuinely confused, they all knew of his affliction but he saw the way Lily would look at him at meal times and in the halls. He noticed all the looks his friend received from the girls of Hogwarts.

"I'm a monster..." Remus said dejectedly, avoiding his friends' harsh glares.

"Once a bloody month, Moony and we are with you now during the moon! Seriously, the dragon is scarier than you!" Sirius scoffed as he threw his pillow at Remus.

"Ooo look, our favorite twins are sneaking out..." James smiled wickedly as he watched the map.

"So, you and Sev are all better now?" Lily asked skeptically as she tightened the cloak around her.

"Yes, I removed the boils, apologized. We talked, I told him about Merlin...he took it okay. Got him to back off your wolf boy..."Hermione smirked at her sisters gobsmacked face.

"How did he take it?" Lily asked nervously as they neared the forest.

"He took it fine, he mostly freaked about Black and Potter. Other than that all good. Can we run now?" Hermione whinged as she hopped from one foot to the other.

"It's Potter?! You like Potter?!" Lily shrieked as Hermione's eyes grew to the size of galleons. Instead of answering she shifted into her animagus form and darted into the forest as fast as she could

Lily growled and followed after shifting. She quickly caught up with her sister and tackled her to the ground and bared her teeth at her. Hermione barked and threw her off, circling her sister slowly. Suddenly, she lunged nipping at her tail before running through the trees. Lily was close behind and was the first to pick up their scent, she howled to her sister. They turned abruptly and followed the scent to a large clearing where they saw the marauders.

"What the hell are they doing in the forest?" James demanded, looking around curiously.

"Don't they know what scary beasties are out here?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows mockingly at Remus who rolled his eyes.

"Well, if they find any trouble they will have 4 strapping Gryffindors to rescue them." James smiled smugly, puffing out his chest. Hermione snorted and Lily rolled her eyes to her sister, having a silent conversation with pointed looks and subtle head nods. The boys jumped as the twins howled, their call echoing off the tress.

"Werewolves?" Peter asked shakily, backing up and looking frantically towards the castle.

"It's not a full moon for another 2 weeks, Wormy." James snorted at his friend's denseness, they ran with a werewolf every month. Suddenly there were two flashes of white as the wolves pounced on Remus and Peter, snarling viciously. James and Sirius turned quickly and shifted to rush them. The twins panicked, unaware that there were other illegal animagi in the castle, and ran in opposite directions. They would loop around to Hogsmeade if they ever got separated. James quickly lost Lily but Sirius had no problems keeping up with Hermione. Hermione growled and sprinted faster, trying to lose him in the underbrush.

After 15 minutes, she knew Lily would be panicking so she turned on Sirius and pounced on him. Her smaller, more delicate frame easily pinned him and growled low in her throat, trying desperately to scare him. Sirius could only stare into her emerald eyes in awe, he would recognize those eyes anywhere. Without a moment's waste he shifted back into his human form, looking rumbled and disheveled.

"Mya?" He whispered, reaching out touch her soft fur. Hermione whimpered at his touch and rook off towards Hogsmeade. When she found her sister, she quickly nudged her to follow. They were in their dorms in record time, taking any secret corridors she could remember.

"How the fuck did he know?!" Hermione hissed as she paced the bathroom, her sister busy throwing up locking and silencing charms.

"He knew?!" Lily shrieked, Hermione quickly slapped a hand over her mouth with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I knew I was taking too long so I turned on him, I had him pinned...he changed back and said my name." Hermione looked down in a panic, taking a step away from her sister.

"Well, they are animagi too! They can't exactly turn us in if they are breaking the same law right?" Lily whispered fearfully, shaking with nerves.

"It's not that...I just didn't want anyone to know. You heard Minnie, she talked about how difficult it was she has at least 4 in this tower right right now...in fifth year!" Hermione exclaimed in wonder, sitting heavily on the rim of the tub.

"Nothing we can do tonight, might as well get some sleep." Lily whispered as she reached out to her sister. Hermione was lead back into their room without complaint, they climbed into Lily's bed and pulled the curtains for privacy.

"Sweet dreams Lils." Hermione murmured into her sister's side.

"Sleep tight Mya." Lily smiled softly as she closed her eyes.


	26. Chapter 26

"I can't say I'm surprised..." James whispered as they sat in the great hall for breakfast, leaving enough space between them and a group of sixty year girl making eyes at them. Sirius sat beside him and immediately started filling his James's plate absently while James fixed their tea.

"I get it, they are brilliant but animagi, really?" Peter squeaked nervously as he settled in beside Remus across from them.

"You remember Mya first year? She was obsessed. Oh, but I would chase that tail all night." James smiled dreamily.

"How do you know it wasn't Lily's tail?" Remus growled, his eyes narrowed as James's face fell at the thought that it wasn't Hermione tail he was chasing.

"I was chasing Mya." Sirius said as he sneered at Snape when he entered the great hall with his house mates.

"How do you know?" Peter asked quietly, shooting glances at the door.

"Her scent." Sirius replied bluntly, "underneath it all it was vanilla and cinnamon."

"How would you know her scent that well?" James asked quizzically, watching Sirius from the corner of his eye.

"You don't?" Sirius smirked

"Touché." James nodded before turning back to his now full plate of food.

"Are you guys going to explain at some point? I thought James liked Lily?" Remus asked curiously making James snort into his cup.

"No." James said bluntly as he used his wand to clean up the embarrassing mess.

"Then the proposals?" Peter asked slowly looking at James if he'd never seen him before.

"I've always liked Mya, my magic has kind of...I dunno called for her. Since the first time I met her. I didn't really know what it meant till third year...I tried to respect Sirius by claiming Lily but...she's not Mya. Then it turned into a protecting her thing, no one could touch her." James shrugged uncomfortably looking at his plate.

"We all know I've loved that red head since first sight." Sirius smiled lecherously, thinking back to the first time he saw the little redhead glaring daggers at his mother.

"...and you two are okay with this?" Remus asked with a raised brow, looking between the two.

"It could be nothing...Mum doesn't think so though. Sirius and I had a small spat over it in third year. Mum told us it was perfectly normal, well...not normal...kinda rare but it happens." James smiled brightly when he saw the twins coming into the great hall and raised his arm to frantically wave them over.

Remus reached over the table and forcefully brought James's arms down with a point glare. "Don't. Not here, you know they are nutters about secrecy."

"So, how do we play this?" Sirius asked quietly, eying the twins as they whispered furiously to each other.

"We can always find them." James smirked relaxing back to enjoy his breakfast.

-0-

"We deny. Simple as that." Hermione shrugged, she noticed the marauders watching them and quickly ducked her head to hide her face behind a veil of hair.

"So...Potter?" Lily arched a brow, Hermione glared at her twin before quickly casting muffliato, a handy spell Lily invented.

"It's not like it's going to happen. So why bring it up? It's probably hormones or the fact that they are the only two boys who have ever noticed me." Hermione rationalized in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Sev notices you." Lily said casually, watching her sister's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

"And they day incest appeals to me, he will be top of my list." Hermione chuckled dryly pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"So, he's like your brother too?" Lily smiled in relief. While she tried not to, she noticed the darkness in her best friend and she would hate for her sister to have her heart broken by him.

"Definitely, I mean Sev is a sweet guy but I will forever see him as the boy we met at the park. Needing his sisters to back him up." Hermione smirked. They both turned and smiled at Severus at the slytherin table, he only nodded minutely before turning back to his dorm mate.

"I have the feeling those prats will corner us at some point today." Lily grumbled, stabbing her eggs.

"Disillusionment charms?" Hermione smiled wickedly, innocently twirling a lock of her hair in her fingers.

-0-

They last until after lunch. The marauders cornered them in abandoned corridor, they were disillusioned but the boys lunged awkwardly around, grabbing the air. The girls danced around them, suppressing giggles. Lily was quick, snatching the piece of parchment from Peter's hand before dashing to the nearest bathroom. Hermione yanked Sirius's pants down before sprinting after her sister, barely suppressing the laughter that bubbled in her throat.

"You are never going to believe this." Lily whispered when they dropped the charm.

"What did you grab?" Hermione giggled, thinking about the look on Sirius's face when he found his trousers around his ankles.

"It a map, with everyone in school." Lily whispered in awe as she showed Hermione.

"This is how they have been bloody stalking me?!" Hermione cried indignantly as she watched the marauders still standing in the abandoned corridor.

"Oh, well, now we can use it to do the opposite?" Lily said hopefully as she bit her lip.

They made it until the train ride home before they were cornered again. The twins thought it was odd that Severus was no longer victim to the marauders bullying. When they asked, Severus told them they were just getting sneakier, making sure there were no witnesses. Remus told Lily that they felt bad about how mean they were to him and decided to leave him alone. James and Sirius never came too close, just shouting marriage proposals from the tabletop in the great hall.. It was all very perplexing behavior neither girl wanted to analyze too carefully.

"Look who it is!" Sirius loudly proclaimed as he threw open the compartment door, startling the twins from their reading.

"Why it's our favorite feisty redheads!" James smiled brightly as he materialized at Sirius's side. They didn't waste any time in sitting down on either side of Hermione, trapping her slight frame between them.

"Hi Lily." Remus smiled warmly, Peter followed along waving shyly.

"Hello boys..." Hermione smiled tightly, keeping her eyes on her book as if their presence didn't affect her at all.

"Oh none of that! We feel like we haven't talked to you girls in ages!" James grinned cheekily as he casually threw his arm around her shoulder, making Hermione huff and impatiently throw him off.

"You see us everyday..." Hermione said uncomfortably, she was sandwiched between James and Sirius and they were staring at her intensely. She could feel their stare and fought to keep her own gaze on the book in front of her, even if the words suddenly made no sense.

"Yes, from afar. You girls have gotten much better at sneaking around the castle." Sirius said smugly as he leaned his head against Hermione's, his breath tickling her ear.

"I talk to Remus everyday." Lily sniffed and crossed her arms, glaring furiously at the boys toying with her sister.

"Yes, and then as soon as we come along you slip through our grasp. It's all very interesting..." James said innocently as he once again threw his arm around her shoulders, effectively trapping her.

"What do you want? Severus should be here soon and we kind of saved him a seat." Hermione rolled her eyes when they both frowned at the mention of her best friend.

"We were wondering if you would see us this break? Maybe finally get those flying lessons?" James said in a low voice with a wink, making Hermione blush furiously.

"Sorry, busy all break. Going on holiday with the family." Lily smiled innocently as she suddenly stood and pulled Hermione roughly from their grasp. Earning petulant pouts from the boys still sitting but before they could complain Lily cut them off. "We must be going."

And with that they were gone from the compartment. Severus stepped in and turned, his face draining color. "What are you lot doing here?" He demanded, his fingers automatically reaching for his wand.

"We were talking to Mya and Lily, they should be right back." James smiled smugly and relaxed back in his seat.

"Why would they bother talking to any of you?" Severus sneered contemptuously as he stayed in the doorway, one foot ready to turn and run. He knew he was a stronger wizard but he didn't want to take on the four of them at once.

"Holiday plans, Snape?" Sirius ignored his question and asked him conversationally with a sly smirk.

"Yes, I'll be spending it with friends." Severus eyed them suspiciously and stepped back so he was just outside the compartment.

"You have no idea how hard it is not to hex his face off." James crossed his arms as he watched Snape flee from compartment.

"Apparently, Lily thinks this is some elaborate scheme. Snivellus told her that we were still hunting him." Remus sneered in disgust as he watched the Slytherin disappear down the corridor.

"Those Evans girls are paranoid." Peter tittered behind his hand, earning sharp glares from his friends.

"Yeah, I don't really get it. They mostly stick to to themselves...I can honestly say I don't remember them talking about their home life much. They mention their older sister. Hot blonde that comes to pick them up." Sirius mumbled looking pensive.

"I think it's pretty obvious, they are muggleborns. If anyone found out about them they would be locked up in an asylum or experimented on like some alien." Remus pointed out reasonably but the looks on his friends faces made him sigh. He was the only half blood amongst them, so they understood little of the muggle world.

"Muggles can't be that bad." James said dismissively.

"Did you not grow up with the same bed time stories of angry muggles?" Sirius asked with an arched brow. "Isn't your mother a Black?!"

"Not really, I mean I got Babbitty Rabbitty..." James blushed scarlet as he lowered his gaze to his lap.

"Ah, well, the dragon lady told me and Reggie some real horror stories about muggles sneaking into your home, stealing your magic." Sirius shivered as he thought of his childhood.


	27. Chapter 27

"You both are so out of shape!" Petunia cried on their morning run, her younger sisters glared at her furiously as she looked absolutely perfect, not even breaking a sweat.

"We live in a castle in Scotland." Lily panted, holding her side as she tried to catch her breath. Looking at her twin, she saw Hermione having the same issues. Their plain white shirts were soaked with sweat as they tried to run in the stifling humidity.

"You are witches. No excuses!" Petunia sniffed impatiently as she clapped her hands, signaling their break was over.

"Doesn't Uni have a gym, you know, in doors?" Hermione gasped, sweat pouring down her face. She looked at Lily sympathetically as she attempted to fix the knot on the top of her head while she ran, stubborn strands sticking to her sweaty skin.

"Yes, but I go for a run in the mornings. Now stop complaining and get running." Petunia snapped and jogged ahead, ignoring the glares she felt.

The girls were currently running down the French quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Petunia didn't seem to recognize the increase in humidity or the evil heat that was bearing down on the twins. She was running ahead of them in, looking light and refreshed in her tight white tank top and shorts. Her golden pony tail gracefully bouncing with her strides, mocking the twins in their exhaustion.

"It's just not fair, is it?" A voice interrupted their brooding. The twins stopped to see a beautiful young woman with mocha skin, wrapped tightly in a shaw.

"What's not fair?" Hermione stopped, catching her breath, resting heavily on her bent knees.

"Why her graceful beauty...I can give you that." The woman smiled slyly as she waved a hand, giving an air of mystery to her appearance.

"Not interested. My sisters are beautiful just the way they are." Petunia jogged up to the them with a scowl on her face as she looked the woman over.

"I only thought I could help. Perhaps a little love spell? Get that boy you like back home." The woman smirked at Hermione's scarlet face.

"I don't know what your deal is but we don't need your voodoo." Lily sneered, looking at the shop behind her. It was one of the tourist attractions they were warned about when they visited the magical district. A small shop with beads and voodoo dolls with bright bottles filled with unknown potions.

"Voodoo is an ancient magics you couldn't even comprehend. Show some respect." The woman snapped, her dark eyes glaring accusingly at the blonde beauty.

"So, tell of this ancient magics. This little love spell you say? What do you do?" Hermione drawled in a bored voice, her emerald eyes icy.

"I was merely trying to help,. Obviously, you need it." The woman sneered before trying to turn away.

"No, you thought you could play on a young girls insecurity to make a quick quid." Petunia mocked her with a condescending smile, making the woman pause.

"You obviously have no idea who you are messing with." The woman went to open her door only to find it snapping shut out of her grasp. The woman's eyes were wide as the girls had identical smirks as they stared her down before they started running.

"Love spells? Really?" Lily cackled gleefully, feeling exhilarated.

"Maybe she's not very good at potions?" Hermione giggled, feeling oddly rejuvenated.

"I found some really old spells that claimed to be love spells but the were lust or mind control spells." Petunia sneered in disgust as she glanced over her shoulder to see the woman still staring at them.

"So, speaking of lust spells, how is dear Monty?" Hermione asked slyly, drawing her older sister's attention back to her.

"Good, upset I won't be able to see him this break." Petunia said with a wicked smile.

"By your letters, he seems quite handsy." Lily giggled with a faint blush.

"I'm not complaining. Coffee?" Petunia said breezily as they stopped at a small cafe, the smell drawing them in.

-0-

"I think that's enough beads, Lily." Petunia laughed as her sister shoved yet another handful of brightly colored beads in her trunk.

"I want decorate the dorm in beads!" Lily giggled as she looked longingly at the shopping bags full of souvenirs.

"No, she wants to get Remus to take his shirt off." Hermione grinned slyly, making Lily shriek as she flung a handful of plastic beads in her face,

"Ooo, so how goes with wolfie boy?" Petunia stuffed another plastic bag of Mardi Gras beads into their luggage.

"He hasn't made a move...I'm starting to think he only likes me for my brain." Lily scowled as she closed the top of the trunk with more force than necessary.

"Yeah, if you carry your brain in your backside." Hermione said dryly, Lily blushed scarlet and avoided her sisters' stares.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Lily exclaimed throwing a heavy wad of beads at her sister.

"Ooo slytherin colors. I'm sure Sev will appreciate the sentiment." Petunia giggled as she stooped low to pick them up.

"So, Tuney...the weirdest thing happened at school. Those toe rags have suddenly decided Sev is no longer the best target for hexes...Remus says it's because they felt bad for him but Sev says they still do, they just don't do it around us." Lily said hesitantly, glancing at her twin.

"Kay, what do you think?" Petunia asked curiously as she sat down heavily in the bed, giving Lily her full attention.

"I don't know, they are so weird. One minute Potter is following me, asking for my hand in marriage, the next he seems to be focusing all his time on Mya. Potter and Black don't even flirt with other girls anymore. I no longer fear checking empty classrooms on patrols." Lily flopped down on the bed with a confused frown on her face.

"Maybe they are growing up...slowly. So, how's that fancy, Mya?" Petunia asked hesitantly.

"It would be a lot better if they would leave me alone I think but...still burning strong I guess." Hermione shrugged dejectedly.

Lily looked at her twin curiously and tilted her head to the side as she asked, "Why would it be better if they left you alone?"

"I can't think when they are near me." Hermione groused, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Oh really?" Petunia smiled brightly, leaning forward eagerly for more details.

"Yes, it's so annoying. It's like my brain gets all fuzzy and I just want to..." Hermione flushed and toyed with the beads in her hands.


	28. Chapter 28

The girls were sitting up in the attic the night before they were headed back to school. It had become a tradition to learn a new advanced magic that Petunia found each year. Last year was wards, this year it would be a patronus. Lily and Hermione smiled to each other, feeling like this would not be a problem for them.

They sat up all night talking about everything and anything that came to mind. Petunia chattering excitedly about a play she saw called The Rock Horror Picture Show, which she would be taking them to see the following summer. Lily explained her newest charm experiment in great detail, lamenting the failed attempts at making a new spell. Hermione would discuss her dreams, which were becoming darker and more vivid. It seemed like some distant future but there was no Lily or Tuney and she felt there was no future without her sisters.

"I don't remember everything and not everything is clear. Sometimes I remember names and places but lately it's all been so dark so much fighting. When I was younger, they were like fairy tales. You know, big castle and magic...I wish I knew where the dreams came from." Hermione whispered sadly as she laid with her sisters, Petunia sandwiched by the twins.

"We will figure it out, one day. I'll sleep with you till then, okay? I'll keep the nightmares away." Lily smiled softly and reached over their sites to grasp her hand.

"Yes, you always have." Hermione sniffled as Petunia held their hands in both of her own over her stomach.

"I'll read up on dreams this semester, if I can't find anything in mundane world I'll find it in the magical world." Petunia promised, squeezing her sisters hands in reassurance.

"Don't forget to tell Monty we said hello." Lily said sweetly as she rested her head on her older sister's shoulder, missing her already.

"You plan on scaring another one away?" Petunia smiled knowingly as she glanced at the impish grin on her face.

"If they can't handle your creepy twin sisters, they don't deserve you." Hermione smiled brightly.

"...but you're not really creepy! It weirdos me out when you both are all silent and mimic each others facial expressions!" Petunia shook with laughter.

-0-

The following weeks fell into an easy routine, studying for OWLs took precedent of course. Lily and Remus spent every waking moment bent over books, Hermione studied with Severus, who was growing increasingly agitated with Lily not joining them. James and Sirius made large public displays, asking Hermione on dates, or marriage when it came from James. Since abandoning their pursuit to torment Severus, they were actually able to have a few civil conversations. They had not brought up that night in the woods and the twins both sighed in relief.

Hermione was wandering down to the kitchens late one night when she heard crying, she sprinted through the halls to find Regulus Black, Simon Travers, Timothy Nott, and Severus. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched them taunting a blonde hufflepuff and hexing her. When she she saw Nott closing in, she instantly snapped and pulled her wand.

"EXCANDESCUM!" Hermione shouted, flooding the hallways with a blinding light, taking the boys off guard. Through hooded eyes she shouted out stunners faster than she though possible, by the time the flare dissipated only Amelia and Severus were left standing.

"Mya?" Severus asked softly as he rubbed his eyes, bright splotches obscuring his vision.

"What the bleeding fuck!?" Hermione cried out rushing to the blonde, her hands fluttering as she tried to check for any obvious injuries on the shaking girl. The Hufflepuff snatched her wand off the floor before grabbing into Hermione in a tight, panicked embrace.

"Mya, it was nothing. Just messing around." Severus shuffled his feet awkwardly, unable to meet her accusing gaze.

"Did he do anything to you?" Hermione whispered to the girl, pointing at Severus.

"No, you stopped them before they really did anything bad." She mumbled as she clung to Hermione, burying her face in Hermione's hair as she silently cried.

"Sev, what the fuck?" Hermione looked to her best friend in shock, her bright green eyes burning with betrayal.

"Really, we weren't going to hurt her. I would have stopped them." Severus reached out to Hermione, his eyes pleading for her to understand but she flinched away from him. His heart constricted painfully as she looked at him as she didn't even know him.

"What's your name?" Hermione whispered stroking the blondes hair soothingly, keeping her eyes on her best friend, unsure what to think.

"Amelia Bones. Thank you I was so scared, they came out of nowhere. " Amelia whispered after she took a shaky breath.

"Of course, do you need to go to the hospital wing?" Hermione asked in a hushed tone, the girl shook her head emphatically. "Do you want to report this?" Again the girl shook her head. "If you change your mind I'll go with you...want me to walk you back?" She stood and helped Amelia supporting her with an arm around her waist. "Sev, don't be like them, if you really think they weren't going to do anything to her...you're an idiot."

"Why were you down here?" Amelia whispered as they slowly walked towards the hufflepuff common room. Severus watched them as they disappeared around the corner before turning to look at his fallen house mates.

"I was going to get some snacks, late night revisions. Are you sure you're okay?" Hermione looked the girl over again, her robes were singed and her hair was disheveled but other than that she seemed unharmed.

"I'm tougher than I look, I'll be fine. You still want to get that snack?" Amelia grimaced shakily.

"No, thank you. I actually lost my appetite...he's my best friend, you know?" Hermione whispered brokenly, still in shock that she would find her best friend in such a situation.

"He looked pretty surprised, I don't think he knew the other guys planned anything." Amelia said quietly, keeping her gaze focused on the floor.

"He just stood there though..." Hermione choked out, her hand covered her mouth to hold back a sob.

"Give him the benefit of the doubt? He's your best friend. Thanks for walking me back." Amelia said softly as she turned to face Hermione, she gave the red head a quick hug before she disappeared into the entrance for the Hufflepuff common room.

Hermione left quickly, sickened by what she saw. How could they gang up on her like that? How could her best friend go through with that? He couldn't, Amelia was right. Severus didn't know and froze, it wasn't his fault. No need to cause more trouble, the other boys didn't even know who stopped them, after all. She stopped short when she saw James and Sirius sitting on the couch watching the portrait hole.

"Good evening, boys." Hermione mumbled self consciously as she walked past them, keeping her gaze to the floor.

"Did you have our map?" James called out before she could escape, making her pause. There was no anger or accusation in his tone, if anything, he sounded amused.

"Map?" Hermione asked innocently, her hand resting on the railing.

"The map we summoned from your room." Sirius smile knowingly as he rested his chin on the back of the sofa to look at her.

"Oh, that map. Yeah, it was pretty brilliant so...we had to keep it. You know us, research purposes." Hermione's smiled shyly, fidgeting under their gaze.

"So, care to tell us about where you were?" James asked nonchalantly, her eyes shimmering with concern. She internally rolled her eyes, obviously they were back to stalking her on the map.

"Helping a friend." Hermione shrugged and smiled softly. "I'm off to bed, night." She rushed up her doors without a look back.


	29. Chapter 29

Amelia Bones was a bubbly ball of energy who became Hermione's new shadow. Not that she minded really, Amelia was in 5th year too but had always stuck to hanging around other 'Puffs. It caused a lot of gossip the next morning when Amelia nearly tackled Hermione to the ground in the great hall. Hermione told Lily what happened and she was ready to storm the dungeons to beat Severus over the head with a heavy tome but Hermione convinced her to give Severus a chance. Amelia seemed to bounce back overnight and just seemed to want to move on.

"House Bones really doesn't need anymore attention." Amelia shrugged when asked why she didn't turn them in.

"Why?" Lily skipped ahead of them, dancing to their favorite spot by the lake where she immediately took off her Mary Janes and knee high socks to feel the grass beneath her toes.

"Ah, we hold a firm stance on blood purity, it's gotten some attention lately." Amelia chewed her lip nervously as she glanced around curiously before settling down beside Lily.

"Your stance?" Hermione's interest piqued.

"Against you-know-who...my father has spoken out a number of times. Mother worries that they will retaliate." Amelia sighed sadly, looking out over the water.

"I'm sure it will be fine, this Voldemort is nothing but a radical. He will need a lot more power before he could move against House Bones." Hermione smiled reassuringly.

"I suppose, right now he seems perfectly fine slaughtering helpless muggles." Amelia sneered disgustedly.

"You know, they aren't really helpless. If only he knew what he could be inciting I'm sure he would hide under the bed." Lily smirked knowingly as she scooted closer to the waters edge and dipped her toes into the freezing water cautiously.

"What do you mean?" Amelia asked with a raised brow, watching Lily as if she lost her mind. It was only spring and the water was known to home many magical creatures.

"Ah, muggles have bombs, fighter planes, armies larger than the wizarding population. It's not all torches and pitchforks anymore. Muggles could literally blow the magical community away in seconds." Lily shuddered dramatically as she thought of the devastation a war on Kings Cross could cause.

"Really?!" Amelia seemed shocked as she looked to Hermione for confirmation.

"I've read the muggle studies book, they are woefully behind on all things muggle." Hermione let out an unladylike snort as she rested back on her elbows.

"Why don't you come visit us over the summer? We could give you a crash course! Oh the shows we will see! Can you see Ami all punked out, Mya?" Lily's eyes shining bright with excitement.

"Punked out?" Amelia asked weakly, looking slightly nauseous.

"It's a type of music, we love it. It's all dirty and angry, it's brilliant." Hermione laughed happily as patted Amelia on the shoulder.

Amelia was silent as she looked at their encouraging smiles before she nodded hesitantly. "I think that could be really fun! I'll owl my parents, you could come to the manor too if you want. I can show you how the purebloods live."

"That would be brilliant! I've always been curious, you know. I mean our family is well off but to live in a manor? It sounds like it's all galas and silk gowns." Lily snickered at the mental picture of her twin in some regal whale bone gown.

"Yeah, my mother will probably demand we go shopping when you come. It is her favorite past time and since Edgar is living on his own, she gets bored." Amelia said eagerly.

"Oh she would get along great with Tuney! I swear Tuney would love to pick out all our clothes without our opinion." Hermione giggled.

Amelia turned to her in confusion but then realization donned in her and she grinned. "Your muggle sister, right?"

"Yeah, she's brilliant, you'll love her. She will probably drag you around the green house trying to get your opinion on all her babies. Sev will be around all summer too." Lily smiled brightly.

"Severus Snape comes to your house?" Amelia gaped at her in disbelief, it was well known that Severus Snape associated with the top girls in their class but her house mates said it was because he used them for their marks.

Hermione looked taken back at the disbelief on her friends face as she tilted her head to the side and laughed. "Yeah, all the time. He practically has his own room."

Before they knew it, OWLs were upon them and they spent every spare moment revising. Severus grudgingly joined the group with Amelia, he relaxed after a few days of seeing Lily and Remus acting strictly platonic. They all had their own strengths to help the others. Amelia seemed to be particularly skilled in ancient runes, while Lily helped them all in charms. James and Sirius even joined them a few times but when they would try to start flirting, Lily would throw a book at them and sternly order them away.

James and Sirius still had reservations on working too closely to Severus but seeing as it was the only way to get anywhere near Hermione, they sucked it up. Sirius was gifted in DADA and was very patient in helping review. James was skilled in transfiguration and could easily take top spot if he were so inclined. Their attention spans could never allow them to last long with them, Sirius would pout when he started to get bored and James would feel it was his job to entertain him, in anyway possible.

Finally, it was the last day of exams and Lily was a ball of nerves. She was pacing in front of the great hall, muttering counter courses. James and Sirius watched on amused, Hermione, Remus, and Amelia looked concerned for her sanity. Hermione tried many times to calm her to no avail and turned to Remus with a pleading look.

"Kiss her." Hermione ordered in a harsh whisper as she pushed the much taller boy forward.

"What?!" Remus nearly fell over in shock as he looked down into Hermione's pleading eyes.

"I know you want to, just do it before she starts pulling out her hair." Hermione clasped her hands together, ready to fall to her knees and beg. Remus seemed to have some internal war with himself before striding purposefully up to Lily and pulling her flush to his chest.

"Remus, what?" Lily snapped before his lips crashed into hers. Lily stood frozen in shock for a moment before wrapping her arms around him to pull him closer. James and Sirius wolf whistled which got the attention of everyone, including Severus who suddenly paled.

"Oi! Break it up! They are letting us in!" Amelia called, cackling happily. They sprang apart, both flushed and red in the face. James and Sirius clapped Remus on the back. Hermione and Amelia hooked their arms around Lily's, smiling smugly.

"Your welcome." Hermione whispered before they took their seats. Hermione was the first to finish and reviewed her answers several times before sighing deeply. She couldn't wait till she could go home, she missed Tuney and was looking forward to all their summer plans. When the exam was finally over, Hermione and Amelia darted for Lily, dragging her out to the grounds. Remus looked very put out as he was dragged along with the marauders.

"What did you do?" Lily hissed as looked over shoulder at Remus who was staring at her with such intensity, her heart fluttered.

"Just gave him a little push." Hermione preened as she skipped forward, a manic smile on her face.

"You were driving us all insane, Lily. It needed to be done." Amelia smiled knowingly as practically tore off her shoes and socks to dip her toes in the lake.

"You didn't threaten him or anything did you?" Lily asked cautiously as she followed suite, folding her knee high socks neatly before putting them in her bag.

"No, it was not needed. If he didn't take his chance, I would have had to put up with you moping allllll summer." Hermione scoffed as she flopped down heavily decide her sister and looked up at the clouds.

"What do I do now?" Lily asked nervously, glancing over to where the marauders were sitting under a tree. Remus held a book in his hands but she could see his gaze was focused on her. It seemed his friends were either teasing him or encouraging him, she couldn't tell from a distance.

"Well, he is probably getting advice on how to make an honest woman out of you now." Amelia laughed happily as she saw Lily's scarlet face.

"Oh god, I hope he doesn't listen to Potter's advice." Hermione groaned dramatically, inwardly hoping otherwise.

"Why not? It would be so romantic, he would propose in the middle of the great hall with fireworks or something." Amelia giggled.

"No! Remus wouldn't do that to me." Lily blushed looking mortified, looking frantically at her sister to reassure her.

"Ah well, looks like they are coming over." Hermione grinned and pointed to the marauders who were walking across the grounds towards them, looking determined.

Suddenly, James turned, his wand out and he shouted. All four of them seemed to lose interest in the girls and started shouting loudly at someone they couldn't see but the girls couldn't make out what was being said. They gathered up all their belongings and started towards them, they were drawing quite the crowd. There, in the middle was Severus, dangling upside down by his ankle, his face red. Everyone could see his pale skinny legs and faded underwear.

"Who wants to see us scrub the grease off old Snivelly?" James asked mockingly, a cocky grin on his face. His hazel eyes were blazing with fury.

"PUT HIM DOWN!" Lily and Hermione shrieked as one as they dropped their bags to march forward.

"Why hello there, Reds. Beautiful day." Sirius said nonchalantly, he too looked at ease. It his eyes gave away how angry he was. Remus stood next to him, stiff and grinding his teeth. Peter looked almost gleeful, twirling his wand, watching Severus dangle.

"Put him down!" Hermione screamed stepping between the marauders and Severus.

"What did he ever do to you?" Lily asked as she moved beside her sister. She looked so disappointed in them and couldn't even meet Remus's gaze.

"It's more that he exists." James shrugged nonchalantly, trying to look totally at ease. Inside, he was anything but. After nearly a year of leaving the slimy Slytherin alone, he tried to curse his friend from behind.

"I thought you finally grew out of this." Hermione ground out angrily, twirling her wand to let Severus down. "Are you okay, Sev?"

"Oh, lucky you. Got your lady guards to protect you again, Snivellus." Peter chuckled gleefully, happy to that the cease fire finally ended.

"I don't need help from filthy mudbloods like them!" Severus sneered hatefully. The twins instantly stiffened, their green eyes narrowed as they looked at their best friend in shock.

"APPOLOGIZE!" Remus, James, and Sirius bellowed.

"No, there's no need. I wouldn't want grease stains if he got too close." Lily growled and started back towards their fallen bags and Hermione followed, tears stinging her eyes. While all eyes were on the twins, Severus took his chance and leveled his wand at Remus.

"Sectumsempra" Snape bellowed. Lily sprang at Remus as soon as she heard the first syllable of Severus's own creation, covering him with her small body. Instantly, she was flayed, blood pouring out of her. Hermione disarmed Severus before rushing to her sister, shaking. Everyone seemed to be in shock, no one moved.

"No. No. No. No. No." Hermione cried pulling her sister out of Remus's arms to lay her down. Her tears ran freely down her face as she rocked back and forth, chanting over her sister. "Vulnera sanentur" over and over she chanted softly, the wounds slowly began to close and Hermione felt weak with relief. "Remus, get her to the hospital wing as fast as you can."

"Is she going to be okay?" Remus choked as he lifted her easily. One look at Hermione's face had him running towards the castle. No one else moved, Hermione stared down at her sisters blood on her hands for what seemed like eternity before she turned to Severus, who looked like he was about to faint.

"Look what you've done." Hermione hissed as she sprang on him. Tackling Severus to the ground, she straddled his hips and forced him to look her in the eye. "Does her blood look dirty to you?" She whispered before punching his as hard as she could in the face. Severus barely made a move to defend himself as she pummeled him, only weakly trying to cover his face as she punched and slapped him anywhere she could reach. She felt arms trying to pull her off and she grabbed his ears, digging her nails into the soft flesh.

"Come on, Lily wouldn't want you do this." James whispered urgently, trying to gently coax her off the Slytherin.

That seemed to clear her head and she looked down at Severus. His lip was split, nose broken, he had the start of a black eye and scratched along his cheek and neck. She reached down and dung her fingers into the earth before smearing dirt into his face. Severus whimpered in pain as she ground dirt into the wounds. James and Sirius hefted Hermione off him and dragged her to the castle. She was shaking and crying, her knuckled were bloody and she had her sisters blood all over her. Dumbledore and professor Sprout met them in the entrance hall.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked calmly, his blue eyes seemed to be boring into her, making her recoil away from him, into James's arms.

"Snape attacked us, nearly killed Lily Evans. Mya was fast enough to start healing her and Remus took her to the infirmary." James spat as the group continued walking. James and Sirius had their arms around Hermione to support her while Amelia carried their bags, tagging along behind.

"Where is Mr. Snape?" Professor Sprout asked, looking at Amelia for an explanation.

"Probably laying on the grounds still." Sirius growled angrily as he continued looking straight ahead.

"What did you do to him?" Dumbledore asked calmly as he walked beside them.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Amelia lied easily as she struggled under the weight of all three bags.

"Are you alright, Miss. Evans?" Dumbledore asked kindly, trying to get her to look at him.

"No, I'm not." Hermione choked out. She just watched the boy she considered a brother almost kill her twin. When they arrived in the infirmary Lily lay on a bed, pale but awake. She started sobbing when she saw Hermione being nearly carried in. Hermione stumbled to her and climbed into her bed. Madam Poppy was muttering under breath pouring blood replenishing potions down Lily's throat. Lily and Hermione clung to each other, ignoring everyone in the room.

"How did this happen?" Dumbledore rounded on the boys who looked pale and shaken.

"We were walking across the grounds when Snape tried to hex us. I jinxed him and he was screaming at us. Lily and Mya tried to get between us, telling us to put him down. He turned on them and as they walked away, Snape tried to hex Remus. I didn't recognize the spell but Lily jumped in front of it, it was like she was flayed. Mya was the one to heal her and told Remus to get her here as fast as he could.." Sirius trailed off, looking at the blood on his hands with a stony expression on his face.

"Continue." Dumbledore said calmly, waving his hand for them to continue.

"Nothing, Mya went into shock and we half carried her up here." James looked up at him defiantly. Snape more than deserved what he got and they weren't about to let Hermione into trouble over it.

-0-0-0-0-

 **I know, people are going to to be mad about Severus...but...it had to happen. I always thought ending a six year friendship over a little name calling was a weak cop out. Ending it over attempted murder, that's more like it.**

 **I was BOTWP: ridiculous angst will happen when Hermione starts to understand what happened.**


	30. Chapter 30

It seemed that Severus surprisingly didn't want to get Hermione in trouble because no one spoke a word of what she did to him. There were whispers and rumors but no teacher ever came forward to question her about it. Lily and Hermione tried to shy away from everyone after the incident, Lily had scars marring her body and felt ugly. Hermione worked as a shield between her sister and anyone who dare approach her with questions. Remus was the only one allowed near her and that was because he wouldn't stay away. He never brought up that day, just tried coaxing her out of her shell.

Hermione knew people were scared of her, talking about her as if she were unbalanced and after attacking Severus the way she did, she couldn't really blame them. Severus refused to have his wounds healed and would stare guiltily at the twins when ever he saw them. It was eating him up inside and his housemates were ecstatic, congratulating him every time he entered the common room. That he only received detention for the rest of the semester was a complete joke to his fellow Slytherins. James and Sirius tried to scare any one off bothering the twins, expelling rumors of Hermione being violently unbalanced. Amelia rallied the puffs behind Hermione and tried to just be there for them with snacks and smiles.

"My parents said I could stay with you this summer if you know...you still want me too.." Amelia finally brought it up when they were in their compartment on the train to go home.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry if you thought we didn't, it's just with everyone at school getting on my last nerve..." Hermione trailed off sheepishly, casting a concerned glance at her sister.

"No need to explain, I get it. By next term, you will be old news." Amelia smiled in understanding.

"So, Remus asked if he could owl me this summer, meet up and what not." Lily said casually, happy to not have to talk about her scars or how she got them. They were made by an undocumented curse so they would take some time and a lot of salve to heal completely. Luckily, they were all easily hidden as they were focused on her torso.

"About time, I was afraid he would try and wait till next term or something." Amelia hummed.

"He said he didn't want to crowd me, that he would understand if I didn't want him to." Lily idly played with the hem of her skirt, color filling her cheeks as she thought of how he kissed her sweetly before they left the common room.

"You know there's a rumor going on that you were with Snape, right?" Amelia asked with an arched brow.

"No, I wasn't aware." Lily blanched and looked a little disgusted at the thought. Severus was her brother in all but blood and she still had not come to terms with the fact that he almost killed her.

Hermione sighed before plastering a bright cherry smile on her face and turned to Lily. "Ah well, enough depressing thoughts of...him. Let's talk about how excited Tuney will be when she finds out she has someone else to shop for."

Lily looked at her sister sadly as she bit her lip and tugged at her skirt. "I jut can't wait to be home. No more people staring, no more idle gossip, no more of...him."

"Oi! We are agreed no more talk of him! Tell me more about the Sex Pistons." Amelia said eagerly, wanting nothing more than to make Lily smile.

"Sex Pistols and Tuney swears she will marry Johnny Rotten." Hermione smirked, happy to see the corners of her sister's mouth twitch. "Apparently they are pretty new but Tuney loves them, we will see them this summer."

"Petunia Rotten?" Lily burst into giggles, biting her knuckle as she fell back heavily in her seat.

"It's just his stage name, I'm sure it's something ridiculous like Oscar Willenbum." Hermione cackled gleefully at the notion. The way her older sister described the band, they were beyond anything they had seen yet.

"Speaking of marriage..." Amelia turned to Hermione with a sly smile. "How's Potter and Black?"

"I haven't really talked to them, they've been busy with whatever prank they were working on for the end of the year." Hermione shrugged indifferently.

"They've been threatening people who said you were barmy." Amelia said slowly as she looked at her like she grown a second head.

"What!" Hermione gasped.

"Yeah, they chased down anyone who saw you and threatened them if they talked." Lily said quietly, biting her lip as she looked at her sister from beneath her lashes.

Hermione was silent for a moment as she processed what she'd just heard. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You were a bit preoccupied the last few days and they weren't being quiet about it..." Amelia trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, that's...I'm not sure how to feel about that. Why couldn't they be gormless berks like before?" Hermione whinged pitifully.

"Why would you want that?" Amelia gagged on her drink as she looked at her friend as if she was insane.

"Cause then I would have a reason not to like them." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest defensively as she pouted petulantly.

"Now that you don't..." Amelia gestured to continue with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, it's not like she can date them both. She should move on to someone else, otherwise it would be so melodramatic." Lily sniffed haughtily, reaching for her book as if the conversation was over.

"Why couldn't she have both?" Amelia asked curiously.

"Because polyamorous relations are immoral and illegal." Hermione shrugged with a frown as if it were obvious.

"Maybe you are a triad." Amelia offered hopefully.

"A triad?" Lily asked curiously, slowly lowering the heavy book to her lap.

"Oh, you know I forget you guys are muggleborn sometimes...you're always so knowledgeable. Well, very strong witches and wizards sometimes form a triad or even a quad. Anything larger is nearly unheard of and turns more into some kind of harem which has gone out of practice. How do you feel around them?" Amelia asked patiently.

"My brains kind of melts but my magic hums...it's hard to explain, I haven't felt like this about anyone else. I mean I can say that a bloke is fit but I'm not attracted to them in the same way..." Hermione said slowly, squinting her eyes as she tried to find words to explain.

"Well, if they feel the same, it could be a triad which is perfectly accepted. Seeing as you are probably the most powerful witch in the school it really comes as no surprise you would have two powerful wizards." Amelia hummed softly.

"Is this common?" Lily asked, her nose scrunched in disgust.

"Yes and no...it's normal for your magic to find the one most suited for you but triads with one witch are very uncommon. It's usually a very powerful wizard with two witches, you know to uh...carry on the line." Amelia smiled at their blushing faces.

"Is there anyway to find out for sure if it is...you know a triad?" Lily asked weakly. Unsure how she felt about the practice. While she knew her sister fancied them both, she thought her sister should move on instead of causing strife between best friends.

"I'm sure there's a spell but it's never really been needed." Amelia shrugged.

"Do you think they know?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"Most likely, they are heirs to Ancient and Noble houses. These are lessons taught to us very early, at least in my house. My gran taught me and my brother all about bonds when he started courting his betrothed." Amelia said airily.

"Betrothed?" Lily gasped

"Courting?" Hermione gaped.

"Well, a lot of muggle customs have bled into the magical world but the families are all still very formal when relationships are serious. Potter and Black have publicly announced their suite to you, they are just waiting for you to accept." Amelia smiled smugly.

"My head hurts, I'm not like betrothed or anything because Potter announces to the hall that he's going to marry me...right?" Hermione asked weakly, looking slightly I'll at the notion.

"Oh, no! He would have to speak to your parents, have the contract written up, all that. This summer my father will start reviewing my petitions and I may or may not end up courting someone." Amelia said nonchalantly.

"So, it's like an arranged marriage?" Lily blanched as her face scrunched up in disgust, she looked to her friend with pity making Amelia bristle.

"No, my father would never force me. Just because we are traditionalists does not make him an archaic tyrant. Some families have contracts for their children while in the womb or cradle, they are mostly for political allies and keeping the blood pure." Amelia sneered as she leaned away from Lily.

"Okay, so how would that work since we are muggleborns? I'm not sure how our dad would react to James Potter showing up at our house with a marriage contract or Sirius Black for that matter." Lily could help but laugh at the mental image.

"Oh Merlin, daddy would eviscerate him before he got in the door." Hermione covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"What am I missing?" Amelia asked bemusedly. The rest of the trip was spent telling Amelia all about their father's hatred of boys and broomsticks.

-0-

"Come on, I want you to meet my parents before we leave. I wasn't sure if you would still want me to come so they came just in case." Amelia chirped as she made her way towards her family.

Lady Bones was a regal woman who Amelia clearly took after, with her coifed honey blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Lord Bones was had his arm casually slung around his wife. He looked stern and intimidating as he looked the girls over with his brown eyes, he had salt and pepper hair and his stance didn't relax until Amelia threw herself into his arms.

"Mother, Father! Please meet my friends, this is Hermione and Lily Evans. The ones I told you about, I will be staying with them." Amelia smiled brightly as she waved to them in turn.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Amelia has told us so much about you. I do hope you will come to the manor and stay with us some time this summer?" Lady Bones smiled graciously, taking in their muggle clothes, already trying to size them up for some new dress robes.

"Oh, yes! We were hoping we could! We haven't spoken to our parents about it yet. With exams we got a little lost in revision." Hermione smiled sheepishly.

"Well, Poppet, have fun with your friends and keep out of trouble. It's was lovely meeting you girls. We shall see you soon." Lord Bones grinned at the twins as they ushered the girls through the barrier.

Hermione stopped short when she saw her parents laughing with James Potter and Sirius Black. There was an older couple standing beside them, smiling warmly. Petunia was watching the boys with narrowed eyes, looking for the arrogant berks her sisters complained so much about. The older gentleman, whom she could only assume was James's father with the uncanny resemblance, was laughing jovially and clapping the boys on the back.

"It is such a pleasure to finally meet you the parents of the Lily and Hermione. We have heard so much about them, I just couldn't wait anymore." The older woman, she assumed was James's mother, smiled warmly and laughed softly.

"Yes, we have been waiting for them to come by the manor. James said Hermione was interested in flying." James's father smiled softly. Hermione saw her father's jaw tense and ran to them before he had an outburst.

"Mum! Dad! Tuney!" Hermione threw herself into her fathers arms, smiling.

"My girls! And you must be Amelia." Harold smiled at the girls, holding a hand out to Amelia. "Lily and Mya have written nonstop about you coming to visit this summer. We were just talking to Mr. and Mrs. Potter here and they introduced their sons."

"Oh, none of that please. Call me Dorea and my husband is Charlus." Dorea Potter smiled graciously as she looked Hermione over. This was the first time she got to the see the girl up close and she could understand her sons draw to the girl. She was powerful and beautiful, just needed some new robes. Muggle clothes were just not flattering in her opinion.

"Of course, and you can call us Ivy and Harold. We have heard so many stories about your boys, they hardly seem like the trouble makers our daughters described." Ivy smiled cheekily at the boys.

"Yes, well, at least some of the lessons have sunk into their skulls and they can be gentleman on occasion." Charlus chortled looking at the two teenagers with pride.

"Well, it has been a pleasure. Send us an owl for tea!" Dorea smiled indulgently as she took one last long look at Hermione before the family turned to leave.

"Of course, I'm fascinated with medical healing. I would love to pick your brain as they say." Ivy chuckled. "Come on, kids." They all waved goodbye and headed towards the exit.

"Told you so." Amelia whispered to the go smacked Hermione who was still staring vacantly like she couldn't believe what just occurred.


	31. Chapter 31

The first two weeks of summer holiday flew by quite quickly between introducing Amelia to all things muggle and keeping Petunia from hunting down Severus. Petunia had been able to go to Severus's house twice but his mother rather forcefully told them that he would be gone for the summer and offered no explanation as to where. She was beside herself that the boy she had always looked out for almost killed her sister. Many times they found her scouring tomes, looking for a way to track him without having to use a wand.

Defense classes had never been more violent.

Dressing Amelia became a nice distraction for Petunia, she was much more patient and didn't seem to care what she modeled. Amelia ended up with a nearly a whole new muggle wardrobe and the twins escaped with only minor bruises after their shopping sprees. Amelia called one of her house elves to alter their jeans, finding the high waist just as uncomfortable as the sisters described.

Finally, after much anticipation it was the night Petunia would introduce them to her newest favorite band, The Sex Pistols. Lily casually told Remus where they would be going that night and hoped he would come. Petunia was a force as she dressed all three girls. She herself was wearing a long ripped t-shirt over fishnet stockings. Lily wore black skinny jeans and a Ramones shirt that was artfully torn and clipped back together. Hermione had on a short plaid skirt, fishnet stockings, and a tank top held together with safety pins. Amelia was the cleanest looking of the bunch because she refused to wear 'shredded' clothes.

"We are seriously going out like this?" Amelia asked nervously as Hermione adjusted her studded belt.

"Yeah, don't like it?" Lily smirked before sitting on Amelia's lap, facing her to smudge her makeup.

"I never thought someone would enjoy wearing shredded clothes..." Amelia blinked rapidly as Lily continued poking her.

"Just for shows, as you know. Our parents would have a fit if we dressed like this all the time." Petunia huffed impatiently as she laced up the knee high black boots she borrowed from her former roommate.

"You never know, you might meet a nice spitting muggle." Lily giggled at the awestruck look on Amelia's face as she looked at her reflection.

"Absolutely not, spitting?" Amelia looked aghast as they dragged her out of the house, barely sparing a glance at her parents who were sitting in front of the television. Harold had a white knuckle grip on his sifter but other wise the parents looked like nothing was amiss.

"Well...sometimes. The crowd can get kind of violent...stick close, we won't let anything happen to you." Petunia shrugged indifferently as Hermione hailed the Knight Bus.

When they got off the bus around the corner from the pub, Amelia became unnerved by all the angry looking muggles. She heard all the horror stories of violent muggles and these people with their colorful hair and spiked wardrobe were something from a nightmare. The Evans girls looked perfectly at ease, excited even and she tried to relax as she practically glued herself to Petunia's side.

"Do you think he will come?" Lily asked bouncing excitedly, the music was loud and made her heart feel like it was beating through her ribs as they waited anxiously for the line to move.

"If he does, he has stones. Isn't he a pureblood?" Petunia asked as she rummaged for her wallet in her magically extended purse.

"Half blood." Lily waved airily, scanning the crowds with bright eyes.

"Evans!" A voice shouted from the crowd and all three sisters spun around. There stood James, Sirius, and Remus. Looking not one bit out of place with their torn jeans and studded belts.

"Should have seen this coming." Hermione grumbled before waving at them.

"I suddenly hate uniforms." Sirius said casually, looking Hermione over with a lecherous grin.

"I don't know about that but there is something to be said about going muggle." James said with a cheeky grin, his cheeks tinged pink as he looked her over.

"You look nice Lily." Remus smiled shyly and kissed her cheek.

"Well, hello boys. Excited?" Petunia crossed her arms over her chest and watched the boys shrewdly, placing herself between the hormonal boys and her sisters.

"We have heard you have the best taste in music so we wouldn't miss it." James smiled cockily as he bowed low and took her hand to kiss her knuckles.

Petunia jerked her hand away and scowled at the cheeky boy as she wiped her hand on her shirt. She paid the bouncer and turned to them before they swallowed by the dark, smoky room. "Just keep your hands to yourselves, boys."

Four hours and many drinks later, the group fell out of the pub laughing and singing. Petunia and Amelia walked arm in arm in front, Remus and Lily were holding hands right behind them and James and Sirius threw their arms around Hermione, trailing behind the group at a sedate pace.

"So, Mya when are you going to give in?" Sirius smiled warmly down at the tiny redhead.

"Give in?" Hermione stumbled slightly and looked up in confusion.

James was quick to tighten his hold on her waist as he bent low to whisper against the shell of her ear. "To us, to our charms."

"Well, still not sure if this isn't some very elaborate prank." Hermione said bit her lip as she shivered.

"Why would we do that?" Sirius asked, all traces of humor gone from his eyes as he looked at her so earnestly her heart skipped a beat.

"Did you just ask why you would prank someone?" Hermione laughed uncomfortably, looking down to hide the heat she felt spreading across her cheeks.

"We have never pranked you." James told her seriously but then nodded to quickly coy amend his statement. "Okay we have but that was the Epic Prank War of 1973."

"I can't think when you're this close." Hermione mumbled, trying to pull herself away but James kept his hold on her waist while Sirius kept himself draped over her shoulder. Together they leaned into her, stopping in the middle of the street.

"How about this close?" James whispered in her ear while Sirius nuzzled her hair. Hermione turned towards him, her face centimeters from the bespectacled boy. Her brain shut down, no coherent thought occurred as she stared into his hazel eyes and she couldn't remember his question.

"Oi! I told you hands off lover boys! Ask her when she's not been drinking!" Petunia snarled as she ripped her sister from the boys. She turned and did the same to Lily who was passionately kissing Remus. The werewolf growled before he shook his head, regaining himself. Petunia scowled at the teenage boys left on the street as she shoved her sisters onto the bus in front of her.

"We will do this again sometime. I'll owl you." Amelia smirked with one step on the knight bus as she cheerily waved to them.

-0-0-0-0-0-

 **Last chapter I'm uploading for the night.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the binge :)**

 **Thirteen chapters!**


	32. Chapter 32

"Petunia, he's not home! He's not coming home until you die." Lily whinged pitifully, wanting nothing more than to fall on the sidewalk and sleep until her muscles stopped screaming.

"So, the pillock has gotten smart, has he?" Petunia growled as they stalked past Severus's house again, she paused as she noticed his mother peaking out of the blinds before hastily closing the curtain.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you Mya broke his bloody face?" Amelia asked hopefully, doubled over as she panted.

"Not really, I hit harder." Petunia shrugged indifferently as she started jogging forward, eliciting groans from the girls behind her.

"Everyday, we run to his house 3 times a bloody day!" Hermione gasped, wiping the sweaty strands of hair that escaped the knot on top of her head.

"Yes, and until I knock some sense into the wanker we will continue our daily runs. You girls are out of shape anyway." Petunia sniffed, looking unconcerned at the witches struggling to keep up.

"How about we cut down...once a day with the promise we will start running every day at school. No matter how cold it is." Lily grimaced as the other too girls shot her betrayed looks.

Petunia paused her stride but continued to jog in place, her perfect golden curls bouncing with each step as she looked at them skeptically. "Every day?"

"Promise!" They practically shouted together after a single glance.

"Very well, let's go home. You are going to Amelia's this week for your official etiquette training." Petunia smiled triumphantly as they all gave weak groans of celebration.

Amelia's home was far more opulent than either girl ever dreamed, with its marble staircases and crystal chandeliers. The girls were given their own suite that had attached baths, the rooms themselves could probably fit most of their house in them. Amelia's mother was busy while they stayed in the Evans house, by the time the twins arrived, they had a brand new wardrobe. Both of them. The Bones had equipped them with some of the finest and latest of fashions in the wizarding words. They were shocked and tried repeatedly to pay for them but Amelia's mother simply shrugged as if it were nothing.

"Apparently, Dorea is unhappy that I did not take her along." She said airily and left the gobsmacked girls.

Etiquette classes were surprisingly painful, Amelia would laugh at her friends shocked expressions when her mother would send a stinging hex for faltering in their posture. Apparently, she had been conditioned since birth because she was never reprimanded. While the twins did have their own muggle version of etiquette classes, the pureblood world was far beyond anything they could have imagined, they had rules for literally every situation. Lady Bones decided that they would need to be equipped with the proper lessons to survive an afternoon of tea with other pureblood society wives. While the twins didn't understand why anyone over the age of 5 would enjoy tea parties so much, they kept their opinion to themselves. So, that it how they found themselves with Ladies Potter, Bones, Prewitt, and Longbottom, enduring their ever glowing backhanded compliments,

"It's not always this bad, dear." Lady bones said soothingly patting Lily's hand as it looked like she was about to cry.

"I am slightly confused as to why you would need to inform her you believe her ankles are fat." Hermione said through gritted teeth, glaring at Lady Prewitt.

"The others are much worse, we just felt you should know what you are getting into. These gatherings are normal and you will need to socialize in our world." Dorea Potter smiled warmly, enjoying her time with the fiery redheads.

"Indeed.." Lady Longbottom smiled tightly as she took a dainty sip of her tea. Her son's betrothed passed away and she was awaiting the day he would bring home a suitable bride.

"I thought muggleborns weren't accepted in pureblood circles." Lily asked lightly as she reached forward for another biscuit.

"Hermione will be the Lady of two Noble and Ancient houses, so, of course you will be invited to all the social events." Lady Bones shrugged nonchalantly, not noticing the way the twins nearly dropped their cups?

"I'm sorry I'll be what?" Hermione sputtered incredulously, spilled tea forgotten.

"Well when you marry of course. Did no one explain this to you?" Lady Longbottom stared down at her as if she were slow.

"Muggleborn." Hermione drew the word it as if the older woman were unaware.

"Why when you finally accept my boys!" Dorea gushed happily as she clapped her hands demurely beneath her chin. "They are both heirs to their houses so you will be lady to their houses. You will be magnificent."

"I'm sorry but I just learned about triads less than a month ago. I'm still a little confused how it works. Is there a book on it?" Hermione asked hesitantly, uncomfortable with the way Dorea was looking at her. She like James and Sirius, she was attracted to them but that didn't mean she would marry them.

"Does she have to marry them?" Lily interjected, finally shaking herself from her shocked stupor.

"Well, there aren't many credible books as each triad bonds is different and not well documented...and no, she doesn't have to marry them but why wouldn't she?" Lady Bones seemed perplexed at the very idea.

"Polyamorous marriages are illegal and highly frowned upon in the muggle world, mother." Amelia offered quietly, looking every inch the demure pureblood princess.

"Who is it that decides who to love and push their views on the masses?" Dorea scoffed indignantly and waved a dismissive hand as she took another sip of her tea.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the pureblood ladies looked to the twins for an explanation, Lily looked to Hermione before she cleared her throat and offered weakly. "It may be because they don't have magic the pulls them to their counterparts."

"How dreadful." Lady Longbottom drawled slowly with a pinched look of disgust on her face.

"So, is it that you don't have a choice? Does your magic chose for you?" Hermione asked curiously, thinking of the way she felt around James and Sirius rather than other boys in her class. Benji was sweet and she thought he was quite fit until their date but he didn't fill her with the same longing James and Sirius induced.

"Petunia was telling me something about it, I think. It's like we all feel it the draw to our mate. She found an old book on bonds when I- anyway, when we find out mates, our magic wants to bond withe them." Lily said every, happy to have something to offer to the conversation.

"We don't use the term mates." Lady Longbottom said in a disapproving tone.

"Okay, but what if someone didn't like the person they felt the pull for? Like say the person was a smarmy git?" Lily challenged quickly, glancing at her blushing sister.

"They would never be that way to you." Dorea said reassuringly, placing a comforting hand on Hermione's arm.

"But it's perfectly okay for them to be that way to other people?" Hermione said dryly.

"You do realize why the boys were so mean to your friend?" Dorea asked apprehensively, glancing between the twins as she struggled whether she should divulge what her son's told her.

"James said it was because he existed." Lily said coldly, not wanting to talk about Severus.

"They overheard your friend talking about you to his housemates many times. Saying crude things about you or not sticking up for you. Unfortunately, they never told yu because they didn't think you would believe them without proof. I found them many time over the holidays coming up with schemes so that you could catch them in the act." Dorea said quietly as she watched Hermione's face for her reaction, the redhead pulled her arm away and pursed her lips in displeasure.

"She's upset your taking away her reasons for not liking them." Amelia cooed with a gleeful smile.


	33. Chapter 33

_"Are you ready to give up these idiotic notions of lowering yourself to dwell with filth and gain your rightful place in society?" Walburga sneered as she hit her oldest son and heir with another round of cruciatus curse. Sirius's eyes rolled back in his head as his back arched off the floor but he grit his teeth to hold back the scream bubbling in his throat._

 _"Never!" Sirius spat blood at his mother's feet, his whole body was sore and he could feel his muscles spasming but he wouldn't give in. Regulus stood in the doorway with wide eyes, his mother usually kept him away when she was having private conversations with his brother but told him to stay and watch. His shaking hands were buried in his pockets as he watched his older brother endure rounds of his mother's torture, getting kicked in the face and spat on but he couldn't move._

 _"That is such a shame, your father has been far too patient with you. You're just lucky my darling Regulus has been trained to take your place." Walburga hissed as she approached his prone form, not even sparing a glance at her younger son._

 _"You leave him alone, he doesn't deserve this." Sirius growled through clenched teeth as he tried to pull himself up and faltered, his arms giving out under his weight._

 _"Oh, he is the perfect heir, he deserves everything our world has to offer him." She spat malevolently and she lunged forward, grabbing his left hand to reclaim his family ring._

Hermione woke with a start, covered in sweat, gasping for air. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she knew this wasn't a normal dream, she knew there was something very wrong with Sirius. Throwing on her robe, she sprinted from her room to find Lily and Amelia. She banged one their doors begging them to wake up. When they appeared and saw her disheveled form, they immediately bombarded her with impatient questions.

"Something is wrong with Sirius. His mother is torturing him, I don't know what to do." Hermione gasped out, her voice ragged and hysterical.

Both of them froze, unsure of what to say. Lily moved forward first to gently embrace her sister, sure it was just a nightmare but Amelia looked at her pensively. "How do you know?"

"Never Mind that, let's floo to Potter Manor, Dorea will know what to do." Lady Bones appeared behind them, looking immaculate even at half two in the morning in only her night clothes.

Lily and Amelia pulled a shaking and exhausted Hermione behind them as they went to the fireplace. Lily stayed unusually quiet, clinging to her sister's hand, Amelia thought Lily would be the one spouting off questions at the speed of light. Dorea and Charlus came rushing into the room as the last of the girls came through, Dorea immediately took Hermione's face in her hands and wiped her tears away, making soothing noises in her throat.

Hermione looked up at Dorea with pleading eyes before she was able to gasp out weakly, "Sirius. Save Sirius." Before anyone could respond, her body went limp and Charles rushed forward to catch her.

When Hermione came around again she realized she was in a very plush bed surrounded by silk sheets. She sighed contentedly until her mind remembered why she blacked out. Her eyes felt like lead as she tried to open them, all her limbs felt weighed down as she tried to move.

"When will she wake up?" Lily whispered softly, Hermione felt like she was underwater, her voice sounding so far away.

"Dunno, mum says she will be fine, just exhausted. Sirius is already bouncing back though and he looked in worse shape." James sighed as he approached her bed. Hermione could feel someone taking her hand and rubbing small circles on her palm.

"I still don't understand and no one is saying anything." Lily grumbled as she resumed her pacing.

"Will you stop! You'll wake her!" Petunia hissed from the corner of the room, leaning forward to catch Lily's hand and force her into the chair beside her. Hermione felt better knowing both her sisters were there and tried to smile but her face barely twitched.

It was silent for a few moment until Lily sighed heavily and looked to the other occupants in the room. "It's been two days! Shouldn't we be trying to wake her?"

"Not if the qualified healer says not to." Petunia snapped, glaring at her restless sister. She was worried for Hermione but Lily spent the last two days acting completely manic and impatient.

"Would you ladies relax? If Mum says she will be alright, she will be alright." Sirius said from the doorway, he slowly made his way to the bed, shaking slightly with a grimace on his face.

"Should you be out of bed?" James asked with a frown, his voice laced with concern and frustration.

"Easy there, Prongs. I was just about to go back to bed." Sirius smirked as he lowered himself into bed besides Hermione.

"Just keep your hands to yourself, Mutt." Petunia growled as she eyed the two teenage boys shrewdly. They weren't much like her sisters described, but then again, it was a rather serious situation they found themselves in. If James wasn't at Hermione's bedside, he was with Sirius. The bespectacled boy did everything he could to make her feel welcome but he was still a hormonal boy and needed supervision.

"If I could, I would a perfect gentleman like Jamie here but I'm still healing." Sirius pouted dramatically and wrapped Hermione's small hand in his own.

"Would...quiet...head..." Hermione mumbled, struggling to get her mouth to form coherent words.

"I'll get mum." James immediately jumped up from his chair and ran from the room, her hand felt oddly cold as he left. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open to see everyone crowded around her, looking just as exhausted as she felt.

"Try not to move too much, it's the potions." Petunia said softly as she pushed the hair from Hermione's face.

"What..." Hermione struggled weakly, barely able to open her eyes.

"We were hoping you could tell us, dear." Dorea said from the door way. She briskly made her way to her bed, throwing Sirius a sharp, pointed look before studying Hermione. Dorea tilted Hermione's head back and poured a bubbling potion into her mouth. Hermione's eyes snapped open and she felt invigorated, she sat up without assistance and smiled tentatively at all the people in the room.

"How are you feeling?" Lily asked softly, her emerald eyes red and puffy, she reached out to her twin eagerly, needing physical reassurance that she was okay.

"So much better now. Do you know what happened?" Hermione looked at her sisters with pleading eyes.

"No, you just said save Sirius and collapsed..." Petunia shot Sirius a dark look as he perked up at the sound of his name with a silly smile. His shoulders slumped slightly as her words registered and he thought of his brother.

"I had a dream...Sirius was...arguing...with his mum and when she went to take his ring I woke up." Hermione stared down at her lap, twisting the silk sheets nervously on her hands.

"This does not leave this room. No one will speak of this, is that understood?" Dorea said sternly, looking over the teenagers closely while they nodded.

James nodded emphatically as he moved to take her hand, ignoring the glare from Petunia and focusing on Hermione. "Absolutely, has this happened before?"

"Not exactly..." Hermione mumbled shooting nervous glances to her sisters.

Petunia looked at Dorea for a long moment before turning to Hermione with a resigned look. "I haven't been able to find anything Mya...maybe Dorea could help." She said hesitantly.

"Yeah, she's a healer." Lily nodded firmly, agreeing with her older sister.

There was silence as they all watched her on bated breath, Hermione spoke slowly in a soft whisper. "I've...always had dreams. When I was little I could barely remember them. I dreamed of hogwarts and Magic...lately my dreams are much more vivid of a war but it's so hard to remember sometimes." She took a deep breath and looked down to her lap to avoid meeting anyone's gaze.

"Is there anything else...besides the dreams?" Dorea lifted Hermione's face by her chin to look into her eyes. The redhead chewed her lip, not sure if she should tell, her eyes looked to her sisters for guidance.

"She knows things..." Lily whispered, unable to meet penetrating Petunia's gaze.

"What kinds of things?" James asked nervously, looking to the girl he'd been dreaming of since they first met in Diagon Alley.

"Things she shouldn't know. School always seemed like one giant review for her, she has instincts about people before ever really talking to them." Petunia said in a matter of fact tone.

"We have learned to trust those instincts." Lily murmured, grasping Petunia's hand tightly and looking to Hermione with pleading eyes.

"She might be a seer..." Dorea said hesitantly, almost unwilling to answer. "But from what I know, it wouldn't start manifesting until about now. There's nothing about the gift being shown in childhood."

"It's not like seers really allow themselves to be studied and documented." Petunia grumbled petulantly, frustrated with the lack of information. She read many books but it all gave vague answers and most information didn't match the things her sister could do.

"We don't know that she is a seer. It could be something else." James snapped abruptly, his face drained of all color.

"James..." Sirius said in a warning tone.

"No, it could be something else. You know what being a seer would mean. I'm not prepared to accept that." James whispered harshly.

"Wouldn't it be good to know and put a label on it?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"No, you never want to put that label on someone you love." James spat, Lily recoiled and Petunia leaned forward, glaring at James.

"She doesn't know so don't speak to her like that." Petunia growled menacingly, putting an arm in front of Lily to shield her with her body..

"Seers are sought after in our world, Lily. If the wrong person found out, she would be hunted along with your whole family." Dorea explained patiently, her grey eyes shimmering slightly as she looked down at the petite redhead.

"They are just dreams! They don't have to mean anything!" James said impatiently, running his hand through his messy hair.

"She tried to take my ring, James." Sirius said softly, still staring at Hermione.

"What does that mean for me?" Hermione asked nervously, ignoring the boys beside her to look at Dorea.

Dorea met her gaze before she nodded sympathetically and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "We have an alliance with House Bones and no one in this room will breathe a word of this to anyone else. You will continue as you always have, unless there are any further complications...then we will have to find some alternative arrangements. Your safety is a priority."

"Alternative arrangements?" Petunia asked suspiciously, her blue eyes cutting to Dorea.

"Well, House Potter will make any necessary arrangements to ensure her safety. Even if we must go to Dumbledore." Dorea said with a tone of authority.

"No! No Dumbledore!" Hermione shrieked in panic. Everyone in the room turned to her in bewilderment.

"Why not? He's the leader of the light! He's the strongest wizard since Merlin and the smartest man alive!" James asked in a bewildered tone.

"I..don't know. I just don't want him to know about me. I've always had a bad feeling about him." Hermione shook her head in confusion. James looked like he wanted to argue further but his mother put her hand up.

"This one of those instincts?" Dorea asked with a raised brow, looking between the sisters.

"Yes, he's a skilled legilimens, I've felt him try and read me a few times. Mya was always adamant there was something about him she didn't trust." Lily confirmed shakily.

"He holds too much power. He is in charge of the courts, the young minds, and has his hands in foreign affairs. It's too much power for one man, even the great Albus Dumbledore." Petunia sniffed with disdain.

"You seem awfully well informed." Dorea looked Petunia over critically.

"For a muggle, you mean? Of course I am. These are my sisters, he's always seemed like a regular old St. Nick however I can find nothing about his personal life prior to his duel with that Gellert guy." Petunia bristled, obviously insulted.

"I didn't, I just meant for a young woman who would be largely looked down upon in our community. Most muggles would be weary and avoid our world." Dorea said lightly.

"Not Tuney, she has been looking out for us our whole lives. She may be just a muggle to everyone in this world but I bet she could beat half the school if she were allowed to sit exams." Hermione said smugly, looking to her older sister with pride.

"Yeah, she studies branches of magic that don't require a wand as well as our own course work in case we need any help." Lily said looking at her sister with a bight smile.

"We have heard a lot about the great and powerful Tuney." Sirius smirked and winked at the older girl. Petunia turned to him with a sneer on her face and growled deep in her throat.


	34. Chapter 34

"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you." James glared at his best friend. It was half three in the morning and he just woke up to Sirius bouncing on his bed like a five year old. His mood was already dark due to Hermione's sister keeping them out of the room since the enlightening conversation the day before.

"She's here, how can you not be excited about this?" Sirius stopped bouncing to study him closely.

"She won't let us in her room. No, correction. Her bodyguards won't let us in her room." James grumbled as he fell back against his pillows with his hands over his face, covering his pout.

"She hasn't hexed us once, I think she may be coming around." Sirius smiled excitedly, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"Pads, I know you have a better understanding of birds than that. Just because she's not hexing us does not mean anything." James groaned in frustration as he reached for his glasses so that he could properly see his best mate.

Sirius gracefully hopped off James's bed and turned to look at the messy haired chaser for a moment before he roughly grabbed him by the arm to pull him out of bed. "Only one way to find out..."

"Do you have a death wish?" James hissed as he let Sirius drag him towards Hermione's room.

"Her sisters are asleep in another room." Sirius shrugged dismissively as he placed his finger over his lips to in a gesture of silence.

"I meant my mother." James grumbled quietly under his breath with a scowl, looking anxiously over his shoulder.

"Please, according to Lily your mum has been letting her Slytherin side show with all her meddling. You know she has met up with her parents four times this summer?" Sirius paused outside of Hermione's door, suddenly feeling nervous. He wiped the his sweaty hands on his cotton lounge pants before he raised his hand to knock but stopped just before his knuckles made contact with the door.

"Should we knock?" James shuffled and ran his fingers through his messy hair.

"If we knock, we run the chance of waking up the guards..." Sirius trailed off uncertainly, looking towards the doors of her sisters' rooms.

"...if we don't knock then we run the chance of her hexing our bollocks off." James finished, his brow furrowing.

"Or you can just wake me up by pacing outside my door whispering." Hermione groaned and opened her door to a stunned James and Sirius.

"We just wanted to talk to you..."James said sheepishly, looking down at his bare feet, his cheeks stained pink.

"Then by all means, come into my room. You won't be safe if my sisters or your mother find you here." Hermione smirked as she silently motioned them inside. As she made her way to her bed she suddenly felt self conscious in the silk nightgown Dorea provided her. Both boys were staring at her with odd expressions on their faces as she practically leapt into the bed and puled the covers up to her chin.

"So..." James trailed off as he ran his fingers through his hair and sat on one of the lush chairs beside her bed.

"Yeah..." Sirius followed suite and sat in the other chair.

"You wanted to talk?" Hermione asked uncertainly, suddenly she was positive they changed their minds. That she obviously wasn't worth their effort, after all there was no telling how much danger they would be in if they had somehow decided to get together. How would that work anyhow? How did three people hold together a relationship? Hermione bit her lip, worriedly as she pulled at her hair. She was pulled from her internal musings by James clearing his throat.

"Could you not do that while we are doing this?" James shifted in his chair, avoiding her gaze.

Hermione looked between them with an open mouth and wide eyes in confusion. "What?" .

"Chew on your lip." Sirius drawled, sitting back in his seat, forcing himself to relax.

"Oh...uh, sorry?" Hermione said uncertainly.

"It's fine, how are you feeling?" James asked, his voice full of concern.

"Feeling much better now, actually. In fact, Dorea said I could get up and move around yesterday but Tuney demanded another day of bed rest when my legs were all shaky." Hermione laughed softly, thinking of her sister arguing with a fully trained healer.

"Oh, well, that's ...good." Sirius said lamely. He sent James a pleading, desperate look as he failed to remember what it was they came here to talk to her about.

"Yeah, I suppose we will be heading home in the morning. Tuney is all excited about seeing a play in London and I'm going a bit barmy in bed." Hermione blushed as she thought of the ridiculous outfits her sister described.

"You don't have to leave." James said quickly, his ears turning red as he turned to Sirius for assistance.

"I know, your mum said I could stay as long as I wanted but I really feel we should be getting home. How have you been feeling, Sirius?" Hermione smiled warmly.

"Much better, all healed. No more shakes and tremors. I...never really got the chance to thank you. You probably saved my life. If mum had not come to save me, I probably would have bled out." Sirius reached out and took her hand.

"It's not problem, I'm just glad that I could help. I was so freaked out by what I saw. She's a horrible bitch to do that to her own son!" Hermione spat venomously, Sirius felt his heart practically explode with warmth.

"We all knew that. Walburga is mum's niece so she's familiar with Black family values." James sneered as he licked his lips and raved at his hair.

"So, you and Sirius are cousins." Hermione hummed as she looked for similarities in the two boys. While Dorea was obviously a Black, James clearly favored his Potter roots.

"Distantly, but the Black are related to just about everyone. The used to breed like bunnies." James smirked as Sirius sat up with a smug smile.

"Not so much anymore, the women in my family have been having issues for the last few generations." Sirius shuddered thinking of his mother lamenting that he missed out on the opportunity to marry his cousin Bella.

"Inbreeding?" Hermione asked lightly, her head tilted to the side.

"What's that?" Sirius asked, his face a mask of confusion.

"The wizarding world doesn't pay much attention to any advancement in the study of genetics?" Hermione asked, looking between the boys curiously.

James shook his head before he moved to sit on the bed so he could be closer to Hermione. "No, what is that?"

"Ahh, it's been proven that breeding between relatives tends to lead to abnormalities and other...unfortunate disfigurements in their offspring. My sisters have a theory that's why there are squibs. The latent magic protects them from some of the more heinous issues muggles are faced with." Hermione scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Really? Muggles actually studied that?" James laughed.

"Muggles study everything." Hermione said airily.

"Why?" Sirius relaxed into his chair with an easy grin on his face.

"I think it was due to the royal family's decline health but I'm not sure. I've never looked into why they study it...only the results." Hermione snickered behind her hands as she watched James relax back on his elbows by her legs.

"You have a royal family?" James whistled appreciatively, it wasn't like the wizarding world was without peerage but there was no ruling family.

There was a pause as she looked at them with a pensive expression on her face before she took a fortifying breath. "Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room or the continue on with the joys of inbreeding?" She asked dryly.

"Elephant?!" James and Sirius exclaimed with identical looks of surprise.

"Muggle expression." Hermione let out a long suffering sigh. "You know you gits are the epitome of mixed signals, right?"

"I have asked you to every hogsmeade weekend since third year." Sirius retorted, immediately understanding.

"Then flirted with anything that walked and your invitation was usually followed up by you dragging some slag into the broom closet." Hermione said with a faint blush to her cheeks.

"I have been asking for your hand in marriage for a year." James cried, crossing his arms and arching a brow.

"Which was preceded by you asking my twin to marry you." Hermione shot back quickly.

"You have to know I was never interested in your sister." James sighed, running his fingers through his hair, making it look even messier.

"Then why chase her?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Cause it protected her...and I had no idea about this until my mum explained it to me..." James motioned vaguely between the three of them with his hand as he trailed off sheepishly.

"You only bullied Sev because he talked about us behind our backs?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Yes, you recall we didn't do anything to him first year, in fact we defended him because he was your friend. We couldn't stand him personally." Sirius shrugged arrogantly.

"So, what do we do now?" Hermione asked nervously biting her lip.

"Marry me." James proclaimed, qui king sliding off the bed to get down on one knee.

"I was thinking we could go on a date. Maybe get to know each other better." Sirius smiled as he jerked James back to his feet with an exasperated eye roll..

"I think I would like that." Hermione smiled shyly.


	35. Chapter 35

_"We don't even know if it will work, 'Mione." A raven haired man that looked like an older version James growled. Hermione was startled by the startling green eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Warmth flooded her as she thought that maybe this was a dream of the future, could the man be hers and James's son?_

 _"There are 5 of us left, that's all we need." A slight woman with brown bushy hair said calmly as she raised her hands in front of her as if pleading with the others to listen. It was an odd scene, they were all sitting around a table in a house that looked dark and gloomy. She could see it was definitely a magical kitchen that was obviously left unattended for too long. All of them looked far too young and scarred, their faces all showing displeasure at whatever the brunette was saying._

 _"We don't even know if it will work." A blonde man with pointed features drawled slowly, his lips curling up in into a sneer. Hermione assumed he was a Malfoy, Lucius graduated two years previously but the resemblance was uncanny. Even if the only time she ever came close enough to him was when she punched him for hexing Severus in the back. Shaking her head, she tried to dislodge such thoughts and focused on walking around the table, finding she couldn't touch anything._

 _"Oh, it will work as long as the blibbering humdingers don't get in the way." A blonde girl with large blue eyes said dreamily. She wasn't meeting anyone's gaze, she seemed focused on the opposite wall with a bright smile on her scarred face._

 _"Fantastic, Granger, you have Looney's vote of confidence." The blonde man smirked as if somehow his point was proven. Hermione felt odd as she looked around at the gathered witches and wizards, she could walk amongst them but they ignored her presence completely._

 _"Oi! Don't be a bloody pest, Malfoy!" A red haired man with a missing ear growled, Hermione's eyes widened as she looked him over. His face was riddled with long pink scars and one of his eyes was completely clouded over._

 _"This isn't helping. 'Mione, do you have any idea what this ritual will actually do?" The James doppelgänger asked patiently, taking the woman's hand in his own._

 _"Well, the translations state it's mostly based on intent...but I'm sure it will work. It will give us a chance to end this, save us all, Harry." 'Mione said slowly, she could see the words greatly pained the bushy haired woman but she gave Harry's hand a reassuring squeeze._

 _"She will rise above all expectations and bring the world into the light." Looney said in the same dream like quality, her eyes slightly unfocused as the redhead moved closer._

 _"Did you...see it, Luna?" The redhead asked quietly, almost a whisper._

 _"No, I can not see what the result will be...nargles getting in the way." Luna said distantly with a small pout to her lips._

 _"We are not doing this until you figure out what we are fucking sacrificing you for, Granger." Malfoy slammed his fist down on the table before storming from the room. The raven haired man, Harry, looked conflicted between the door and the hand he was holding before he stood to follow._

 _"You know, 'Mione, you can tell them what the ritual will do." Luna said, her face suddenly serious, her unnaturally large eyes focused on the bushy haired witch._

 _"I'm not sure myself, it's vague at best. Do you know?" 'Mione cleared her throat and shuffled the papers in front of her nervously to avoid meeting the stare._

 _"Oh, I do know. I know that you are sacrificing yourself on the alter on a chance. George, will you check on Harry and Draco? I don't think they should be alone, they may knock down another wall." Luna had lost the dreamy quality all together now, her eyes focused and sharp, watching 'Mione closely. Fred kissed her cheek and left without another word._

 _"Luna, it said it will create a a savior, someone to save us." 'Mione said desperately, trying to will her friend to understand._

 _"I don't think you understand the full sacrifice. You are asking us to willingly let you go. What will Draco and Harry do without you, if they even survive?" Luna asked sharply and 'Mione's head snapped up with a frown on her face._

 _"Of course they will survive. You will only be there for your magic and attributes." 'Mione scoffed defensively as she crossed her arms over her chest._

 _"Yes, it will take the best of us, the best of our qualities and abilities. You still don't know when or how or what will be the final product of the ritual." Luna slapped her hand on the table impatiently._

 _"I'm hoping for the past, before we are even born. It's the only way it would make any sense... It's too late now, magic is nearly extinct." 'Mione whispered._

 _"And if it doesn't work? You sacrifice yourself for nothing?" Luna moved so she was nearly sitting on her lap her blonde hair grazing 'Mione's cheek._

 _"Draco and Harry still have each other, you and George have each other. No matter what though, it's the 5 of us against the world." 'Mione choked on her words as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's lithe frame._

Hermione awoke, having the same dream almost every night for a week. She couldn't remember most of it after waking but it still left her with filled with dread. Hermione tried to tell her sisters but she couldn't remember well enough to accurately describe why this dream was affecting her so much. Petunia found a spell to extract memories and she silently vowed to pick up some phials from Hogsmeade so she could review her dreams.

"Mya, you okay? You were mumbling in your sleep." Lily turned over in bed to face her twin, her drowsy eyes filled with concern even though she was still mostly asleep.

"Same dream, something about a ritual." Hermione mumbled sleepily, resting her head on Lily's shoulder. "They were arguing...something about sacrifices."

"So, it's not a vision, right? It's just a dream." Lily said soothingly and wiped the hair from her face clumsily. Hermione couldn't help but smile at her sister as valiantly tried to fight back a yawn but failed miserably.

"Yeah, it just leaves me feeling sick every time I see it." Hermione yawned and wrapped her arm around her sister's waist.

"Go back to sleep, we are finally going to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show tomorrow." Lily smiled sleepily as her eyes drifted shut. Hermione lay awake, listening to her sister's even breathing, faint words echoing in her head, driving away sleep.

 _Sacrifice_

-0-0-0-

 **So, I'm still on the fence about the specifics of the triad...whether or not James and Sirius are together or not. I've got about 25 chapters done so...let me know what you guys think.**

 **I've gotten a few messages and reviews about Severus...I absolutely loathe Severus Snape in cannon and hate the Lily/Severus pairing even more. I don't think he deserves happiness, bullying the obviously abused orphan son of the woman you love? Meh, didn't quite hit me in the feels when I saw his patronus...BUT he will be redeemed, eventually. Probably when it's almost too late. :)**

 **Thank you for all the reviews!**


	36. Chapter 36

"I'm not wearing that." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her older sister who was currently dressed like a prostitute. She wore a red corset with fishnet stockings and patent leather black six inch heels, the ruffled under pants did nothing to motivate Hermione to trust her older sister's judgement at the moment. Petunia threw the gold outfit at Hermione with a huff, glaring down at her sister with her jaw set stubbornly.

"We are all dressing up for this, Mya." Petunia growled, her blue eyes hard. Taking her older sister seriously in her outfit was hard but Hermione was able to keep her composure and turn her nose up at spandex suite with disdain. "I have been working on these outfits since last year!"

"Why must mine be a leotard?" Hermione shrieked. Lily chose that moment to enter the room in a simple French maid costume, slit up to the sides all the way to her hips. "Why can't I wear that?"

"Because that is Lily's costume." Petunia said slowly as if talking to a child, clenching the Golding costume in her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"I like my outfit!" Amelia chirped happily as she came barreling in the room wearing a conservative peach skirt suite. Hermione flapped her arms in indignation and looked to her twin in desperation.

"Mya, if it really bothers you, I will switch with you." Lily said with a tight smile, this fight had gone on too long and if she didn't change they would miss the play altogether.

"Thank you, my most caring and understanding sister." Hermione said loftily and started pulling on Lily's kitten heels.

Once they were all dressed and ready to go, Petunia was smiling again. She handed out the long black cloaks to hide their outfits until they got to the theatre. The trip was uneventful, Petunia raved about how much fun they would have and showed off the many props that were apparently encouraged so the audience could interact with the cast. When they stood outside in the line, she turned on her Hermione.

"Did you invite the boys?" Petunia asked her sister with a sly smile. They hadn't seen the marauders since they left Potter Manor less than a week ago but Petunia was looking forward to supervising hers sisters' dates. Payback for all the boys her sisters scared away with their twisted twins routine.

"Err, no. They wanted to go on a date tonight but I told them I would be with you guys and I didn't want our first date to be..." Hermione trailed off, motioning over Petunia's outfit with a grimace.

"Ahhh, don't like my taste, now?" Petunia smirked as she lifted her arms over her head to pose dramatically, gaining quite a few appreciative looks from the men waiting in line with them.

"I don't think she wants to tell her kids she was dressed as a French maid on her first date." Amelia snickered behind her hand as Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair.

"Kids? Well, we haven't talked much about kids, yet. Potter Manor has a lot of bedrooms to fill." James smiled happily as he came up behind them to put an arm around Hermione's shoulders, making her jump in surprise.

"I don't know, Prongs. There's also Black Island, I'm sure we can raise our own quidditch teams there." Sirius chuckled as he kissed Hermione's cheek in greeting

"Excuse me?!" Hermione squeaked and pulled away from the Gryffindors with matching smug smiles.

"Of course, my love. As long as they all look like you, I won't fuss too much." James had a cocky smile on his face as he reached out and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Would you really want to sacrifice my good looks though? I mean, just imagine what mine and Mya's children will look like." Sirius grinned wolfishly and leered at the petite redhead, his eyes trailing over her long baggy cloak speculatively.

"Let's get a first date in, then we can talk about how you want me to be your bloody broodmare." Hermione pulled away to take off her cloak and put it in Tuney's magically expanded bag. "Let me guess, Remus told you where we would be."

"Hi Mya!" Remus said from behind Sirius and James with an apologetic look. "Ladies, you all look...incredible." His eyes never left Lily as he stepped forward and kissed her cheek. James and Sirius on the other hand were frozen to the spot, taking in Hermione's outfit.

"Marry me." The boys dropped down to one knee simultaneously and reached for Hermione.

"Bloody purebloods." Petunia growled, slapping the them both on the back of their heads. She hauled them up by their collars and fixed them with a glare, which they ignored.

"We can elope, tonight." James said eagerly, his glasses laying perilously crooked on the tip of his nose.

"We are all 16, mum will probably be upset but we can get to Gretna Green in no time." Sirius nodded in agreement as he leaned on James.

"I thought you said you wanted to date first or court or whatever it is you do...Amelia?"Lily looked at them perplexed, Amelia stifled a giggle.

"You want to marry me...in a French maid costume?" Hermione asked slowly.

"We would marry you in anything, a paper bag, a napkin, a tea towel, we're not picky." Sirius said seriously as he ticked off the options on his fingers.

"Of course, mum would murder us for depriving her a bonding ceremony but...it could be worth it." James said conspiratorially to Sirius.

"Oi! Prongs! Pads! Let your bride breathe!" Remus laughed nervously as he saw Petunia's face steadily growing redder the more his friends talked.

"We agreed to a date, this not said date. Tonight, we are friends. No more talk of marriage or children, just be your annoying prat selves." Hermione laughed, pushing them away. She couldn't think when they were too close, their scent alone made her want to bury her face in their necks.

Of course, they didn't listen, they called it their 'first pre-date' and stayed close to her side. It all started when the ticket agent whistled and winked at her, making her blush scarlet. The rest of the night was filled with lingering touches and intense looks, Petunia would spray them with her water bottle periodically to make them pay attention. To say the boys were shocked would be an understatement, while their hands idly toyed with Hermione, their gobsmacked faces drifted to the stage in horror many times.

"That was amazing!" Lily cried as they danced from the theatre, her fingers laced with Remus's as he smiled fondly at his girlfriend. Amelia was still giggling and singing, arm in arm, with a blue haired muggle she met.

"Even better than the show I saw while in Uni!" Petunia agreed with a smile feeling drunk on the experience but keeping a close eye on her sisters. They didn't drink during the play so she didn't worry overly about her sisters walking with boys. Except James, she eyed him shrewdly.

"Is that how all muggle plays are?" James asked incredulously, shoving his hands in his pockets after a stern glare from Petunia.

"Oh, no...this one is special." Hermione laughed happily as Petunia laced their arms together.


	37. Chapter 37

After many heated debates on where their first date should be the boys were ready to kill each other. James wanted to do the proper thing by taking her to best restaurant in the wizarding world, effectively making her fall madly in love with them and accepting their hand in marriage. Sirius turned his nose up at James's love struck plan. He wanted to take Hermione to see his favorite band play, effectively making her see that their great taste in music show her what excellent fathers and husbands then they would run off to Gretna Green.

"Perhaps, you boys should see what Hermione would like to do?" Dorea said from the door way with an amused smile on her face.

"Isn't it the wizard's job to plan the first date?" James asked arrogantly, making his mother smack him upside the head.

"I've talked to Hermione and her sisters on the subject, muggles have very different courting rituals than us." Dorea said slowly, looking between the eager boys shrewdly.

"Like what?" Sirius asked curiously, excited for more insight on the world that was kept away from him. His only real source for the last five years was Remus because his mother was a muggle but he still had more ties to wizarding community.

"Well, not many first 'dates' end up with an engagement for one. I have been talking to her parents to ease them into the courting tradition but you should keep in mind that she was raised muggle." Dorea explained patiently, placing comforting hands on their shoulders. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing at their obvious disappointment. James was so like his father, the ridiculous Gryffindor was so brash when she caught his eye, going so far as to march right up to her father looking for an agreement without so much as a formal introduction.

"So, what should we do for a first date? How do we get her to accept our suite? She has done an exceptional job of ignoring us for the past 4 years." James sighed dejectedly, his lower lip jutting out in a petulant pout.

"She recognized something in you just like you did her. Keep that in mind, get to know her. Right now, it all hormones and your magic reaching out...you must make an effort and keep your hands to yourselves." Dorea told them with a pointed glare. "I have taken the time to beat manners into your skulls, I expect you to behave like gentlemen."

"We still don't know what to do..." James fidgeted under his mothers stare, twisting the worn bit of parchment in his hand. Sirius was quick to snatch the list away from his best friend, it had all of their ideas for seduction.

"Well, there is a carnival going on in Ottery St. Catchpole this week. It's a lovely mix of magic and muggle." Dorea smiled wistfully, thinking back to the times Charlus brought her when they were young.

A plan was set into action, it would be the first time they would be alone with her since she stayed at Potter Manor and they were excited to have an entire day with their witch away from Petunia. They thought that the twins were exaggerating about their sister being violent but they had bruises from their night in the muggle theatre to prove otherwise. Currently, they were trying to look laid back and nonchalant, leaning up against a wall next to the entrance of the carnival. James would subtly lean over and brush some invisible lint from Sirius's shirt while Sirius would make sure James's glasses were on straight. Anything to distract themselves from their first date with the witch they've been chasing since puberty.

"Hello Sirius, James." Hermione approached them slowly, nerves and anxiety exploding inside her. They looked amazing in muggles clothes, both wearing tight bell bottom jeans, Sirius wore a Pink Floyd shirt and James had a The Who shirt. It wasn't fair and she suddenly felt self-conscious in her flowy sundress, wondering how she would look beside them.

"Mya!" They called, both sporting matching grins, it looked like their faces would split in half at any moment.

"You look gorgeous, my lady" James said gallantly, kissing her on the cheek.

"Yes, absolutely ravishing." Sirius agreed and kissed her other cheek, making the anxiety in her chest lessen slightly.

"You both look smashing." Hermione smiled shyly, her cheeks tinged with pink. She took their hands as they made their way into the fair. It was amazing, almost like a muggle carnival except, it was brighter somehow, more colorful. Hermione guessed it had to do with the magic imbued on the wards.

They spent the next few hours playing games and just enjoying each others company, there was never a lull in conversation. If at any moment James were to falter, Sirius was just behind to bring up a new topic or start some kind of wager on the games then the bespectacled boy would do that same. They sampled every kind of food available, played all the games, and even got on a few of the rickety and dangerous rides. James and Sirius won her a large black stuffed dog and stag. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at them, picking out names for her new stuffed friends. James scowled at the pretty pink flower that was tucked into the stag's antler before roughly ripping it off and throwing it away before handing the stuffie over.

"Yes, Padfoot and Prongs. You'll keep them on your bed, right? Sleep with them at night to keep you nice and warm?" Sirius asked slyly as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"No, I think this one is Bambi..." Hermione grinned wickedly at James affronted expression. "And this one will be...Shaggy." She continued, making Sirius sputter indignantly.

"Shaggy?" "Bambi" Sirius and James cried out at the same time, looking gravely insulted.

"You obviously missed that the stag is a virile and powerful creature, deserving of a much more masculine name than...Bambi." James said arrogantly, his chest puffing out in obvious pride.

"Yeah, you can't just rename a vicious canine like Padfoot here." Sirius whinged petulantly with his lower lip jutted out, making Hermione giggle.

"Excuse me!" A small voice behind them interrupted the trip. There stood two ginger boys, looking to be about five or six. "Would you like to ride the Ferris wheel with us? Mummy doesn't like heights and Percy would only cry the whole time." The smaller of the two smiled innocently and grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Oh? Where is your mummy?" Hermione turned to boys with a smile, looking through the crowd for anyone searching for them.

"Mummy is looking at the sweets." The older boy nudged James out of the way and grabbed her other hand, a sweet smile on his face. Sirius graciously took the stuffed animals from Hermione so she could focus on the two small boys at her sides.

"I'm sure she's worried, we should go find her." Hermione smiled warmly at the boys as James and Sirius pouted behind her, not appreciating their date being stolen.

"You're pretty, are you a muggle?" The younger boy asked shyly, tugging at his short orange curls.

"No, I'm not a muggle, are you?" Hermione asked slyly.

"Of course not, I'm Charlie Weasley." The boy stated as if that was explanation enough.

"And I'm William Weasley, I'm the oldest." The other said as he puffed out his chest in pride.

"Well, I'm Mya Evans and these are my friends, James Potter and Sirius Black." Hermione told the children, jerking her head vaguely to the boys trailing behind them.

"Billy! Where did you run off to? I told you stay by me and keep an eye on your brother!" A short, voluptuous woman with a screaming baby in her arms came running towards them.

"Mummy, look we made a new friend! Her name is Mya and he's James and he's Silus." Charlie said smugly, pointing to each of the teens in turn.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry if my boys have been a bother." The red haired woman said as she looked over the boys uneasily before offering her hand and readjusting the screaming child on her hip. "I'm Molly Weasley"

"It's lovely to meet you, I'm Sirius Black, this is James Potter and this lovely lady is Hermione Evans." Sirius stepped forward, kissing her knuckles. Molly turned as red as her hair momentarily before looking at Sirius closely.

"Black?" Molly asked, snatching her hand back quickly as if it were burned. Hermione frowned as the red haired woman subtly moving herself so that she stood between her sons and Sirius.

"Yes, Sirius is the white hippogriff of the Black family. The Potters have pretty much adopted him." James cut in quickly with a charming smile, watching Hermione glare at the woman in confusion from the corner of his eye.

"C'mon Mya, ride the big wheel with us!" Charlie's innocent laughter broke the awkward tension. Billy grabbed Hermione's hand tighter and started to pull her towards the Ferris wheel, leaving no room for argument.

"Weasley men love redheads." Molly chuckled as James and Sirius watched their dated get stolen, again.

After Hermione got off the Ferris wheel with the boys, Percy was still wailing at the top of his lungs. Molly looked like she was about to burst into tears due to stress while James and Sirius stood just behind her, unsure how to help. Hermione automatically reached forward to take the baby from her arms and hold him close, patting him lightly on the bum. She pulled her house keys from her pocket and dangled them in front of his face. Without hesitation the little red haired child grabbed shiny keys and stuck the large rubber Scooby-Doo keychain in his mouth to chew on. His screams were instantly silenced as he just stared up at her, his big brown eyes watching her curiously. Hermione smiled down at the little boy, humming as she rocked him gently. Molly threw her arms around the girl, careful not to squish her son between them.

"Oh, thank you! He's teething and all he does it cry!" Molly half sobbed as she hugged the startled teenager.

"It's nothing really, you just seemed..." Hermione trailed off guiltily, biting her lip.

"I was hoping to wear the boys out with a day at the fair so maybe I could sleep. I must look a fright." Molly chuckled uneasily as she patted her frazzled hair, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"Any time you need any kind of help...I mean I don't want to be presumptuous but my sisters and I love kids so..." Hermione trailed off shuffling her feet, glancing at James and Sirius with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah! Mya can come home with us and she can shut Percy up!" Bill cried happily. James and Sirius exchanged uneasy looks, their witch was getting stolen right from under their noses.

"Well, I suppose dear but I can't offer much in..." Molly blushed trailed off, obviously uncomfortable.

"Oh, no Molly, you misunderstand. I'm not asking for money, I just want to help." Hermione said quickly as she gently placed the babbling toddler back in his mother's arms, slipping the keys back in her pocket. Molly stared down at her youngest son as he happily chewed on his fist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Yeah, we can help too!" James offered, ignoring the incredulous look Sirius sent him.

Molly looked at each of them in turn before smiling warmly and resting her free hand on Hermione's arm. "Well, that is very nice of you. Not many teenagers want to sit around with children when they could be out causing mischief."

"Well, I honestly don't have many friends in the magical world...so, I'm always up for more." Hermione smiled warmly as James and Sirius moved to stand at her side, looming over her.

"Well, I will definitely send you an owl then. We must be going, though. I need to make dinner for Arthur. If you ever need us, come to the burrow. It's just up the hill there." Molly smiled brightly, running her fingers through the now sleeping toddlers hair.

"Mya is coming home with us right?" Charlie asked with a frown as he moved to stand at her side, rudely nudging Sirius out of his way.

"No, not tonight Charlie. Sorry, I've got to babysit these two." Hermione said with a wink as James and Sirius sent her identical and unnoticed scandalized looks.

"Are they your boyfriends?" Charlie asked with an adorably pout, glaring at the teenager boys.

"Well-" "YES!" Hermione was cut off by both Gryffindors shouting over her.

"Well, no. Seeing as neither of them have asked me." Hermione's eyes narrowed as she looked over her shoulder at the boys.

"Good because your hair is red." Bill piped up with an innocent smile.

"That's enough, boys. It was lovely meeting you, I'll owl you and you must come for dinner sometime, bring your sisters." Molly smiled warmly at the petite redhead and kissed her cheek before ushering the boys away.

"So, worried I'm going to run off with a couple of red headed children?" Hermione turned on James and Sirius as soon as the Weasleys were out of hearing range.

"Uh...we...er." James stuttered, shocking Hermione. Seeing as they always seemed to have so much confidence in front of the great hall. When they were alone, they showed much less bravado, which pleased her greatly.

"What we mean to say is...umm." Sirius blustered as he shuffled his feet, looking to James in confusion.

"Eloquent, as ever." Hermione said dryly with a small smile.

"Well, we would like you to be our girlfriend. We would like to court you." James said nervously as Sirius nodded emphatically next to him.

"Well, I dunno. I mean did you see Charlie? He's going to be quite the heartbreaker..." Hermione trailed off as she could suddenly see a tall stout figure with long red hair and tattoos, smiling easily as he levitated a table. She shook her head and burst into laughter, focusing on the shocked Gryffindors in front of her. "Really, you numpties! Considering your competition is a 6 and 7 year old, I think you're safe."

"You still haven't answered if you would be our girlfriend, yet." Sirius said as he stepped forward, staring down at her earnestly.

"Well, I suppose I would like that." Hermione smiled shyly, standing on her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips quickly. She turned to do the same to James but he already reached for her, dipping her back and covering her mouth with his own. It was quick but passionate and made her blood boil instantly.

"That's not fair!" Sirius cried as he reached for her and did the same, he wrapped a hand in his hair to cradle her head as he kissed her roughly. Hermione shivered as she grabbed his arms tightly to keep her balance.

"Well, then." Hermione blinked rapidly as she stepped back, finding herself unable to think coherently all of the sudden. James and Sirius were both smiling smugly at her flushed face. They were chaste kisses, really but she could feel her face burning. It wasn't fair that they were so unaffected by her.

"What would you like to do, now?" James pulled her between them and whispered in her ear huskily.

"I want candy floss." Hermione smiled sweetly. Three could play it that game, she could be just as unaffected, play it cool just like Petunia. Then Sirius gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Whatever you wish." Sirius whispered against her skin, making her heart pound erratically in her chest.

-0-0-0-

 **Thank you for all the reviews and your opinions!**

 **Plot bunnies...are annoying**

 **I've been trying to finish one chapter of Growing up Weasley for a month, a month! Granted I think it will be the longest chapter yet, that's not the point. A month! Stupid teenage angst, I'm ready to resurrect Voldemort but no, a month.**

 **Anyhow, to thank everyone for their speedy answers, I've decided to upload a few more chapters!**

 **James and Sirius will not be together, I'm glad to be pushed off the fence. Rewriting and adding slash scene she would have been a pain. So, instead I started a new story with Harry/Hermione/Draco...because there just aren't enough of those floating around :)**


	38. Chapter 38

_Hermione found herself in the familiar stacks of the Hogwarts library, it was obviously after hours because the lights were so dim. The sound of heavy books falling to the ground made her jump and she reached for her wand, only to find it wasn't on her wrist. With her heart pounding erratically in her chest she followed the soft shuffling sounds towards the restricted section. Her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw James and a blonde boy snogging passionately. It was only after she noticed the familiar bushy haired brunette sitting close by did she realize it was a dream._

 _"Honestly, is that all you two do?" 'Mione scoffed with a small smile, her eyes hooded with lust as she watched the Gryffindor and Slytherin grope each other shamelessly. Hermione couldn't help but move forward to get a better look at the trio, curious about their interactions. The bushy haired girl was looking rumpled but relaxed as she leaned lazily against the table._

 _"Oh, Princess..." Malfoy purred seductively as he pulled away from the raven haired boy slowly. His swollen lips twisted into a lazily grin as he moved towards her, falling to his knees at her feet. "So greedy."_

 _Harry smiled cockily as he moved to sit on the table just behind her, swinging his leg over and forcing her back so she rested between his legs. "Yes, 'Mione, so greedy!" He mumbled softly against her cheek as Malfoy rested his hands on her knees, his finger tips resting underneath her skirt._

 _"I'm not greedy." 'Mione groaned softly as Harry kissed her neck and she tilted her head to the side to give him better access. Hermione stood frozen as Malfoy used the brunette's distracted state to flip her skirt up to expose her thighs, his hands moving higher and higher with his eyes glued to the couple in front of him._

 _"You get boy wonder all to yourself in public, I only get you both in the dead of night." Malfoy pouted petulantly as he pressed gentle, open mouthed kisses to her inner thigh._

 _"Mm, so much patience from our snake." 'Mione hissed as his fingers grazed her most intimate area. Suddenly, the bushy haired witch lunched forward, knocking the blonde to his back while she straddled his waist. "You should get a special reward, don't you think Harry?"_

 _"Mm, I think you're right, 'Mione." Harry grinned broadly as she slipped off the table and kneeled down beside the blonde's head._

Hermione awoke feeling hot and flustered, throwing off her thick blankets she quickly grabbed her familiar note book and started to write down the few details she could remember. So, obviously she was dreaming of another triad but she had never seen James and Sirius act anything but brotherly towards each other. In the few books Dorea loaned her, there was nothing really about the relationships between the witches and wizards involved in the triads or quads. It only spoke of their power, bonds, or their exceptionally gifted offspring.

"What are you doing?" Petunia mumbled from the doorway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Hermione looked up to see her older sister looking lovely in her cotton night gown, feeling slightly envious of the way she always looked so beautiful with so little effort.

"Had a dream." Hermione mumbled, turning back to her journal to continue scribbling her thoughts. Writing another reminder to pick up a penseive or something to review memories in Diagon Alley.

"Want to tell me about it?" Petunia asked as she moved to sit beside her on the bed, her younger sister automatically moving over to give the blonde more room.

Hermione was silent for a few moment as she stared at the neat hand written notes before turning to look at her older sister critically. "Do you think James or Sirius are at all bent?" She asked abruptly, making Petunia reel back with wide eyes.

"Err...no." Petunia said slowly with a bemused expression on her face.

"Do you think it's odd I have two boyfriends?" Hermione pondered aloud as she closed the journal on her lap and leaned back on her headboard.

"I've dated multiple boys at once...but they never tried to tag team me." Petunia smirked as her sister blushed to the roots of her hair. "I mean, your magic calls to them both, right?"

"Yeah." Hermione sighed, tossing the journal on her night table and turning to face her older sister.

"Well, while I don't think I could ever handle those rowdy wizards...you just, glow...when you're around them. So, could you choose between them?" Petunia asked earnestly, taking her sister's hand in her own.

"No." She replied immediately and frowned, pondering the idea of just kissing James or only walking hand in hand with Sirius. It didn't feel right without both of them, while she certainly could talk to them one on one, they were more of a package deal.

Petunia was silent for a moment as she seemed to study her younger sister, sucking her teeth noisily. "You don't fancy one more than the other?" She persisted with narrowed eyes as if she didn't quite believe her.

"I fancy them both differently, there's no real measurement, I suppose?" Hermione sighed scrunched up her face to think for a moment of how to continue. "James is like fire, instant heat if he so much as touches me...but Sirius is like electric. My magic reacts differently to them both but it's...so strong and different and so buggering difficult to explain."

"Fire and electric?" Petunia countered with an amused smile on her face, a challenging brow raised almost to her hairline. "That seriously sounds like some silly line out of rom com or melodrama!"

"Okay, imagine you have this thing living inside of you, right?" Hermione sucked her teeth impatiently, rolling her eyes at her sister's dramatics. "Like this second heart that you can feel at all times, yeah? Well, this second bloody organ literally vibrates inside of you whenever your near a certain someone...or someones. Just being around them makes you feel all content and hot and fuzzy and uncomfortable all at the same time but when they touch you? That's when it really makes you want to leap out of your skin."

"So, that's how your magic reacts to them?" Petunia asked curiously, she always wondered what it was like to have magic. Her sisters couldn't accurately describe it when they were younger but she would watched enviously as the twins would wield such unnatural power with ease.

"Yes, I can absolutely admit that I thought Benji was fit and I fancied him but when I held his hand?" Hermione paused and looked her sister in the eye to try and gauge her reaction. "It was like that extra heart cringed in my chest and I knew it was wrong."

"Sounds bloody awful." Petunia exclaimed, scrunching her nose up in disgust. "Why did you ask if I thought they were bent?"

"I had a dream about another triad, I think." Hermione said hesitantly, reaching out to grab her journal. Her older sister sat silently as she opened the worn book to the latest entry. "There was two wizards and one witch like us but the wizards...they were snogging, like furiously, all out, violent snogging. I don't think I've ever seen Sirius and James act anything but brotherly."

"Well...either they are very good at hiding it or...they don't like cock." Petunia said bluntly, causing her younger sister to squeak as her face bloomed with color. They both dissolved into giggles and had to bury their face into pillows to stifle the loud laughter.

"Brilliant!" Hermione gasped, being the first to calm herself down. "But I have a serious problem."

Petunia's shoulders shook for a moment longer before she sat up, hugging the pillow to her chest and looked at her sister's earnest expression. "What?"

"How do you asked your new boyfriends if they've been buggering each other?" Hermione asked with a straight face, they silently stared at each other for a long moment before they fell back against their pillows in laughter.


	39. Chapter 39

_Hermione found herself in the hospital wing of Hogwarts, there was a different matron bustling around and disappearing behind the cubicles closed off by curtains. She silently made her way to the far side of the infirmary only to gasp audibly. Laying in bed were frozen students, somewhere in her mind she realized they were petrified. Clutching her chest she backed away only to find herself at the bed of 'Mione and she looked so small. Tears prickled her eyes as she moved forward to find the young Gryffindor with her eyes open wide and her hand reaching out for something. The medi-witch disappeared into her office as she heard the doors open behind her._

 _"Mudblood." A very young Malfoy mumbled as he cautiously approached the bed with a sullen frown on his face. Hermione was frozen as she watched the little blonde reach forward tentatively to touch her outstretched hand only to pull away as if burned. "I warned you, I gave you the mirror!" He whispered harshly._

 _"Mum told me to protect you." He continued sullenly as he stared at the petrified girl with such longing, hesitantly he moved to sit on her bed but made sure he didn't actually touch her. "Father says you're nothing but a lying, filthy thief who stole magic from some pathetic squib...but you're not, are you? I don't like it, Granger. You and bloody Potter, prancing around trying to get yourselves killed. I hate you but every other day one of you is in the hospital wing and my heart feels like it's withering in my chest and my magic..._

 _"Mum says my magic would find the perfect pureblood lady, she would be beautiful, cunning, graceful, and pure but it calls for you and I hate it! Bloody stupid, impulsive Gryffindors!" He snapped harshly before reaching out and taking her cold hand in his own, a brief look of contentment settles on his face before he sneers and snatches his hand away again. "You're a buck tooth, bushy-haired, mudblood bookworm! Potter is an idiot with a death wish, how could I possibly-" he stopped abruptly at the sound of the hospital door opened and Hermione openly snickered at the blonde falling to the floor and shimmying under the bed._

 _"Hey, 'Mione." A sad voice whispered, Hermione looked around but found no one. She nearly screamed when a young Harry threw off his invisibility cloak and appeared from thin air. The raven haired Gryffindor had no trouble at all sitting in bed right beside the petrified girl and holding the stiff, cold hand in his own. "It's absolutely miserable without you, Dumbledore is gone and Malfoy is strutting around like he's personally responsible. If I didn't know for sure he wasn't the heir, I would hex the git. However, no one seems to think I'm the heir of Slytherin anymore." His laugh was hollow as he looked down at his frozen friend with a look of confusion._

 _"I wonder..." Harry whispered as he slowly leaned down and lightly touched his lips to hers, his eyes widened comically as he jerked back in shock. With a look of absolute terror he threw his cloak on and Hermione could hear his heavy foot steps sprinting from the hospital wing._

-0-

Petunia loomed over Hermione as she tried to curl her pin straight locks unsuccessfully. No matter how much Aquanet her sister sprayed, the springy curls fell flat in only minutes. She glanced at her twin who was wearing a purple dress and her vibrant red hair tumbled down her back in flowing spiral curls. Lily was putting on the finishing touches for her date at the cinema with Remus and Petunia was going on a first date with some local boy name Sean. Sirius and James were coming over to have dinner with her parents and for whatever reason Ivy and Harold Evans wanted to interrogate the boys without the assistance of their eldest daughter.

"It will be fine." Petunia cooed with a sly smile, giving up on curling her sisters hair altogether and throwing it into a stiff bun on the top of her head.

"They only asked me to be their girlfriend weeks ago and they are the ones that insisted to meet mum and dad." Hermione whinged petulantly as Lily only smirked at her, happy that her werewolf boyfriend would only be making a short introduction before their date. "Don't most boys fear meeting their girlfriend's parents?"

"Apparently not those silly wizards." Lily giggled as they descended the stairs and all three girls froze in their steps, finding their father sitting in the sofa. It wasn't so much his placement but the fact that he pulled his service S&W Model 10 from the glass display box in the curio cabinet and was cleaning it. Whistling. Their father was cleaning his service pistol, while whistling a jaunty tune.

"Dad?" Petunia was shoved forward, rather rudely, by her sisters and she had no choice but to approach their father first. Harold looked up with a broad smile, laying the pistol down gently on the table which also held his precious emblems from his brief service. Next to that lay the box that held their grandfathers military accomplishments, his daughters stared at their father with wide eyes as the door bell rang.

"I've got it!" All three sisters practically screamed before rushing to the door, Harold Evans' dark chuckles echoing in their wake. As Hermione yanked the door open they were faced with a tall man in his mid twenties with long blonde hair, a tie dyed t-shit and scruffy, insanely tight bell bottom jeans.

"Sandals!" Lily gasped, forcing all three sisters to look down and find the man wearing socks with his tatty Birkenstocks. The twins turned to Petunia with identical expressions of disbelief and the oldest Evans girl cleared her throat but was interrupted by a familiar hollow laugh.

"You must be Sean." Harold smiled jovially from just behind his daughter, making them all jump. The blonde hippie stepped forward with a lazy smile before all the color drained from his face as he saw the revolver in his hand.

"Yes, sir." The wide eyed man straightened his posture immediately and stuck his hand out in greeting. "It's lovely to meet you, you have such a lovely home."

"Come in. I was just about to pack away my military relics." Harold smiled wolfishly but Petunia jumped forward to grab her date by the hand.

"Sorry, Daddy! Meeting up with some friends in ten." Petunia said with her most pleading smile, Sean's shoulders seemed to sag with relief but the armed father turned to look him over critically.

"Back by eleven." Harold said in he deepest voice that any of the girls ever heard, making the poor New Age traveller to lose the ability to speak altogether.

"But-" Petunia paused to argue that she was a grown woman but stopped herself as her sisters mouthed the word 'sandals', drawing her attention back to her date's feet. With a cheery smile she looked up at her father. "Of course, daddy!"

"Nice to meet you Mr. Evans." Sean attempted to call out as Petunia dragged him towards the curbs but he quickly turned away when Harold glared at him venomously.

"Dad." Hermione let out a long suffering sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Is it absolutely necessary to bring out guns when you meet people?" Lily hissed, looking nervously out into the street for any signs of the Knight Bus.

"Not like he could do anything to Lily's boyfriend without silver bullets." Hermione grumbled as she pulled her sister inside to close the door. Apparently she didn't say it quietly enough because her father froze in place with a horrified expression on his face.

"Silver bullets?" Harold demanded, his eyes looking twice their normal size in his ashen face as he looked between his precious little girls. His darling twins that promised he would always be the most important man in his life.

"Hermione Rose!" Lily hissed, glaring at her sister before looking up at her father through her lashes. "It's okay, dad, really. It's all sorted, you'll love him."

"Why would I need silver bullets?" Harold asked through clenched teeth, the twins exchanged a nervous look which contained an entire silent conversation.

"Well, you see, daddy-"

"-Remus is a prefect-"

"-ranked fourth in our class-"

"-very shy-"

"-Gryffindor-"

"Who also happens to be hiding his lycanthropy from us." They finished together, hoping to confuse their father. Harold's eyes narrowed as he looked over his little girls critically.

"So, you're dating-courting?- a werewolf?" Harold asked after he took a deep calming breath and swallowed audibly.

"He was bitten as a child!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly but that didn't seem to lessen the pressure on the vein above her father's right eye. She exchanged an anxious glance with her sister as they stared at the pulsing vein wearily and took a step back.

"He doesn't know that I know!" Lily shouted out abruptly, her large green eyes suddenly filled with tears as she looked up at her father pleadingly.

"Ivy!" Harold shouted as he pinched the bridge of his nose and turned on his heel to head up stairs, absently throwing his empty service revolver onto the couch. The twins could hear him mumbling under his breath. 'Boyfriends', 'werewolves' and 'fucking hippies' clearly before he disappeared up the stairs.

"Harold?" Ivy called out as she walked out of the kitchen and looked to her girls with an arched brow, the twins nearly jumped out of their skin as they heard the tell tale bang of the Knight Bus arriving.

"They're here!" Lily hissed in panic as she looked out the window to find James, Sirius, and Remus playfully shoving each other off the bus. "Un-bloody-flappable."

"Oh!" Ivy exclaimed loudly, a bright smile on her face as she realized that her daughters's boyfriends arrived. She leaned over the banister to shout, "HAROLD!"

"Buggering bloody werewolves..." Harold grumbled as he came stumbling down the stairs grumbling under his breath. "Two fucking suitors, knew those boys were trouble."

"Dad!" Lily and Hermione exclaimed in embarrassment just as there was a knock on the door.

"I've got it!" Ivy called cheerfully but Lily and Hermione dove for the door and quickly jerked it open so they could greet their boyfriends.

"Hi!" The twins smiled sheepishly with a a wave, they stepped back in sync to allow them entry. Jame and Sirius immediately stepped forward to kiss Hermione on the cheek in greeting but Remus was more hesitant.

"Dad, you remember- DADDY!" Hermione started to introduce James and Sirius but found her father picking up his service pistol. Remus was the only one who seemed to know her father was holding because he immediately stepped in front of Lily with a snarl. Ivy took a startled step back but Remus kept his eyes on the pistol in Harold's hand.

"Oh, excuse me I was just- you alright, son?" Harold raised a curious brow at Remus's defensive stance and heaved a deep sigh. Turning his eyes to the young men on either side of Hermione, a disappointed frown settled on his face as he realized they didn't even know what he was holding.

"Remus!" Lily hissed, slapping the defensive werewolf on the arm, it seemed to snap him out out of his stupor because he instantly relaxed and grimaced.

"My apologies, Mr. Evans. Mrs. Evans." Remus said sincerely as she stepped forward to shake his hand after he unceremoniously dropped the empty pistol on the couch. "Remus Lupin. Pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, Remus! Please call us Ivy and Harold!" Ivy beamed at the blushing teen with her hands clasped beneath her chin. Her eyes widened comically as she seemed to remember something suddenly as she dashed from the room.

"Love?" Harold called over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on James and Sirius with a frown, vividly remembering lanky little boy who offered his daughter flying lessons and the snobbish woman with two spoiled brats. Yes, he remembered the moment he met both boys and he knew from the beginning they would be trouble. Belatedly, he realized that Remus still had his hand out but he just stared at the werewolf's hand in a panic.

"Dad!" Hermione hissed under her breath, motivating her father to take Remus's hand in his own as he met the young man's gaze.

"Sorry about that!" Ivy came rushing into the room with their Polaroid camera around her neck and an excited smile, effectively breaking off the silent stand off between boyfriend and father.

"Mum!" Lily groaned as she lowered her head and cupped her face in embarrassment.

"Pleasure to see you again, Mr. And Mrs. Evans!" James took his moment to step forward and offer his hand to their father, Sirius stepping up right behind him.

"Yes, thank you so much for inviting us for dinner!" Sirius said politely, offering his hand along side James's. Harold was hesitant as he shook both their hands in turn and gave them an extra tight squeeze, surprised by the neutral expressions on both their faces.

"What kind of camera is that?" James inquired as Ivy fumbled with the release on the back of the camera with a frown.

"Polaroid SX-70." Harold supplied promptly as he took the camera from his wife's hands and flipped it up so she could take the photos.

"Mum, the film is starting soon." Lily whispered pointedly as she looked towards the door, wishing to avoid any pictures.

"Nonsense!" Ivy admonished with a light slap to the arm as she held the camera up to her face. "First date, my Lily Flower!"

"Merlin!" Lily squeaked, her face turning bright red as she tried to hide her face in her hands. Harold took a step back with his hands buried in his pockets as he watched the werewolf smile fondly and pry her hands away, whispering something in her ear.

"That's it!" Ivy cried as she waved at the group to gather together with her free hand.

"That's right, Lily Flower! Big smile!" Sirius whispered with a smirk and the flash of the camera went off just as Lily turned on the him with her mouth open and Hermione elbowed him none too gently in the side.

"BLACK!" Lily hissed then blinked owlishly at the bright flash, James took off his glasses to rub his eyes and Ivy took the photo out of the camera excitedly.

"No teasing Lily!" Hermione said sharply as she turned to glare up at the smiling marauder, once James put his glasses back on he tried to discreetly nod at his best mate but nothing about James Potter is subtle.

"POTTER!" Lily shrieked, forgetting all about her parents standing in front of them as another flash of the camera went off.

"Order, now!" Harold shouted, startling the bickering teens, he had to bite down hard in the inside of his cheek stop himself from laughing. Remus was openly mocking his friends from behind Lily's back while his daughters at some point drew their wands on Hermione's troublesome boyfriends. He enjoyed that James and Sirius seemed to lose all color in their faces from being at the business end of his daughters's wands. They all turned to him slowly with wide eyes and he couldn't hold in his laughter any longer.

"Instant, my left cheek." Ivy grumbled as she sat the photos side by side, Harold smiled fondly at his wife before shaking his head.

"We really need to get to the cinema!" Lily whinged, wrapping her arms around Remus's arms with a wide eyed pout.

"Fine!" Ivy sighed dramatically as she leveled her daughter with the patented catholic mother look. "If you won't stand still for just one photo for your mother."

Lily stared at her mother for a long moment before sighing in defeat and shoving Remus so he stood by his friends and she was on the outside. "Fine, mummy dearest. Anything for you." Sh said sweetly.

"Don't you forget it!" Ivy said happily as she raised the camera to her face again. James wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist while Sirius slung his arm around her shoulders, twisting a stray lock of hair in his fingers. They all smiled just in time for the flash. "Oh! I think that will be just lovely!"


	40. Chapter 40

The summer seemed to fly by between dates with their boyfriends and pureblood etiquette lessons, the girls were very busy. They did manage to slip away once to have dinner at the Weasley home, aptly named the burrow. Arthur Weasley was a sweet man who asked the strangest questions about muggles. His dream was to work in a department that interacted regularly with the muggle world. Lily spent a lot of her time with Remus, still waiting patiently for him to tell her the truth about his lycanthropy. Hermione and Petunia tried to assure her that he would eventually and to have patience but it was slowly running out.

"Maybe I'm just not his mate." Lily grumbled miserably as they were sitting in the attic on the last night before they went back to school.

"Do you want to be?" Hermione asked with a raised brow, lounging back lazily against an old deflated beanbag chair.

"I'm not sure...I mean, I fancy the pants off him but I would like to think I am...I feel drawn to him." Lily said blushing furiously as she averted her eyes to the records in her lap.

"Well, give him time. Remember, werewolves are considered monsters in that society, he's probably scared you'll run away." Petunia shrugged as she ruffled her sisters hair affectionately.

"Or he will wait till the first time you guys shag and try to mark you." Hermione giggled behind her hands as Lily froze in place.

"I'm saving myself, slag!" Lily shrieked and threw a pillow at Hermione's face.

"So am I!" Hermione laughed happily as she threw the pillow back at her sister's stunned face.

There was absolute silence in the large room as Lily and Petunia stared at her with matching looks of disbelief. Lily pursed her lips and found her voice first. "Really?"

"You would think I would have told you if I took them up on flying lessons." Hermione smiled wryly, only slightly insulted at her sisters' assumptions.

"It's not that, Mya...it's just your boyfriends..." Lily trailed off with flaming cheeks as she looked to Petunia for assistance.

"Yes, my boyfriends...what?" Hermione asked with narrowed eyes, looking between her sisters impatiently.

"Your boyfriends are like sex on legs." Petunia smirked as Lily fell to her side in silent laughter.

"I haven't been seeing them long. Just because I'm dating, courting them, whatever them doesn't change my morals." Hermione said with a superior sniff, crossing her arms across her chest.

"God, the both of you are prudes!" Petunia laughed at her sisters affronted faces. The twins tackled her to the ground but they all froze in place by the sound of tapping on the window. Lily hopped up to see James and Sirius standing on the curb in front of a motorcycle.

"Speaking of sex on legs, they got a bloody motorbike!" Lily guffawed as she turned to her sister.

"They didn't." Hermione groaned as she placed her chin Lily's shoulder to see James and Sirius standing in front of a black muggle motorcycle. With a squeal of excitement she left her sisters watching out the window as she dashed down the stairs as quietly as possible. She ran across the lawns and approached her boyfriends with a suspicious eye.

"I swear, every time we see you, you get more lovely." Sirius said with a grin as she reached them. She noticed they were both looking wind swept and shifting nervously.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Hermione asked with a small smile, pulling her bath robe tighter around her.

"Do we need a reason to see our beautiful girlfriend in her nightwear?" James asked casually with an innocent grin.

"No, but I told you it's tradition for my sisters and I to stay up the night before school. When did you get a motorbike?" Hermione asked as she looked it over curiously, running her fingers over the shiny black finish.

"It was a gift from Uncle Alphie, wanted to take it for a spin...and give you something. I promise we won't keep you from your sisters." Sirius smiled nervously as he handed her a rectangular box. Hermione took it with some trepidation and found a beautiful silver necklace with the Black family crest in laid with diamonds. She smiled sweetly and kissed Sirius quickly before he behind her to put it around her neck.

"I wanted to see if my broom could keep up and I had something to give you as well." James said as he handed her a slightly smaller box. "They are heirlooms, to signify that we started courting. The charms too a bit of time but...mum talked us out of giving them to you tomorrow." Hermione opened her box to find a platinum charm bracelet with with a stag, a dog, the Potter family crest, a lily, a petunia, and a wolf she quickly threw her arms around James and kissed him.

"Thank you. They are beautiful! I thought that there had to be contracts, blood oaths, and sacrificial virgins?" Hermione asked a bit hesitantly, the way Dorea and Augusta talked about 'the agreement' made her feel a bit like she was selling her soul to be bound to the handsome men in front of her.

"Well, that will happen over Christmas, Uncle Alphie and mum talked today and decided to invite your parents over during the break. Mum promises to make sure they understand the meaning behind it all before they negotiate the terms." Sirius nodded his head slowly and exchanged a smug grin with James over her head.

-0-0-0-

 **This story is totally unrelated to anything else I might post, the Draco/Harry/Hermione story I've been writing is set about a year after the final battle.**

 **Dumbledore isn't evil, but Petunia would be paranoid enough to not want Hermione on his radar. I just think that Hermione should avoid letting him ever know about her abilities, he seems like the type to just obliviate the fuck out of her for the greater good and all that. He won't even really have a role in the story for a long time, while they are in school he will just be their headmaster.**


	41. Chapter 41

When the Evans sisters passed through the barrier of platform 9 3/4 the first thing they noticed was Peter waiting on them, practically bouncing like a child awaiting a great surprise. His blue eyes were sparkling and he had a maniacal smile on his face that promised trouble. Lily and Hermione took out their wands, they knew that look. It was a hex first ask questions later situation, Lily leveled her wand at Peter while Hermione scanned the crowds for the other sixth year Gryffindor boys.

"Spill, Peter. You look like your about to wet yourself with excitement." Lily snapped, looking over her shoulder nervously.

"No, I'm just here to escort you to the compartment. Mrs. Potter forced them not to do anything on the platform." Peter backed up quickly, watching her wand wearily. Hermione and Lily quickly said their goodbyes to Petunia and followed Peter to the compartment the marauders sat in every year. Lily immediately sat on Remus's lap while Peter sat beside them. Hermione eyed her boyfriends suspiciously before lowering herself between them, looking between them with narrowed eyes.

"I'm never getting your girlfriends, again." Peter shouted out abruptly, his cheeks pink.

"Why what did they do, Wormy?" James smirked as he toyed with Hermione's bracelet, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the stag charm.

"They held me at wand point!" Peter exclaimed loudly, his eyes shifting between the twins nervously.

"In our defense, he looked suspicious. Seriously, we thought you were going to jump out at any moment and humiliate us somehow." Lily said bluntly as she leaned back on Remus with her arms crossed over her chest defensively.

"Yeah, isn't he supposed to be your look out? How do you not get caught all the time, he's so...excitable." Hermione smiled uncomfortably as Peter openly stared at her with watery eyes.

"Consider yourselves lucky, I had to lock them in the compartment till you showed up. They wanted to sabotage the Slytherin car to detach itself in celebration." Remus laughed and wrapped his arms tightly around Lily's waist, burying his face in her hair to take a deep breath.

"So, you didn't want to celebrate us in some loud, humiliating, and noisy way?" Lily asked innocently as she turned slightly in his lap to look up at him through her lashes.

"Nope, I plan on letting everyone know by subtly being glued to your side." Remus winked with a smug smile.

"That is why you are my favorite marauder!" Lily squealed as she turned around completely to throw her arms around his shoulders and kiss him passionately, forcing herself to ignore the blonde boy sitting beside them staring.

"So who's your favorite marauder, Mya?" Peter asked with a sly smirk after he finally turned away from the pair.

"Jury is still out, I mean you know me. There's list and graphs...need to really compare your strengths and weaknesses. Have I really seen all that the marauders can do?" Hermione said with a dramatic sigh and laughed as James and Sirius both looked at her appraisingly. When their eyes met over her head in silent challenge, a sly smile bloomed on her face.

"Did you really...just?" Lily asked nervously, her gaze shifting uneasily between her sister's boyfriends.

"I am simply asking them to put in their best effort in everything they do." Hermione smiled innocently as her sister looked ready to lunge across the open space to thump her.

"Prefect meeting." Remus exclaimed suddenly as he hopped up and half carried Lily out the door. Hermione immediately leapt up and claimed their empty seat. James and Sirius were looking at her with matching predatory smiles.

"This is not an excuse to be arrogant bullies, this is to show off your talent for magic. You know, potions, charms, and transfiguration." Hermione said sternly, scooting over to put as much space between her and Peter as the bench seat allowed.

"Oh, Mya love I think I just fell more in love with you." James said with a dreamy smile. Sirius sent Peter a quick look before the smaller boy dashed from the compartment without a backwards glance.

"I thought you hated our pranks." Sirius pondered aloud as he moved to take the seat beside her.

"I love pranks, if you recall, I encouraged your pranks all first year. It wasn't until you started bullying people I had a problem. Unless, you want to bully professors...I'm oddly okay with that." Hermione hummed as she sunk low in her seat, stretching her legs out to rest her feet on James's knees.

"So, you won't get mad at us for going all out this year? You realize what you're inviting, love?" James grinned as he wrapped his long fingers around her ankles and gave a sharp tug, pulling her down in her seat.

"Potter! Don't be a prat! I know exactly what it will be like, but next year is NEWTs, best get it out of your system now." Hermione growled as she twisted out of his grip. She quickly scrambled up and burrowed herself into Sirius's side, tucking her legs beneath her. Sirius put an arm around her shoulders as James pulled out his rucksack and she stifled a yawn. "Wake me up after you guys are done planning, I only got 2 hours of sleep with Lily and Tuney inspecting my gifts."

 _Hermione was standing in the courtyard of Hogwarts but the usually prestine area was in ruins. Spell fire flew around her and she quickly dropped to the ground, only to let out an ear splitting scream as she came face to face with a pair of blank, unseeing blue eyes. Bodies littered the ground around her and she could feel her heart beating erratically as she reached for her wand. As she crawled on her hands and knees to kneel behind the fountain, unarmed because her wand was once again missing, she recognized the bushy haired girl, 'Mione, battling furiously back to back with Malfoy. With wide eyes she watched the pair tearing down her opponents, it was mesmerizing the way they moved in perfect sync covering each other. Suddenly, the grounds were silent and everything seem to stop at once. The world around her moved in slow motion as a pale corpse like man came forward in dirty black robes. Hermione gasped as she saw his scaly face, his eyes were red and slit like a snakes, he didn't have a nose or lips._

 _"What the fuck is that?" Hermione whispered to herself, as she was rooted to the spot. The monsters mouth was opening and closing as if he was talking but she couldn't hear, bragging about something if she could take a guess. The warriors, 'Mione and Malfoy collapsed together as they stared with glazed eyes beyond the reptilian figure._

 _It was James. Not moving, lifeless James being carried by Hagrid the groundskeeper. Her body finally woke up as she scrambled to her feet and she found herself running to him, leaping over fallen witches, wizards, house elves, anything else in her path. Without a second throught she reached out for him but her hands passed right through his body. Looking closer, she realized it wasn't James, there were subtle differences, he seemed shorter, his shoulders too narrow, his nose was different...Harry. Suddenly Malfoy was beside her, pulling the limp figure into his arms and openly crying into the crook of Harry's neck._

 _"When will you learn, Riddle?" Hermione whipped around to se the girl, 'Mione, with her wand pointed at the snake man's chest. "Never fuck with a Potter. Avada Kedavra!"_

She jerked awake with her heart in her throat and a scream on the tip of her tongue, James and Sirius looked at her with concern before she threw herself into James's arms sobbing. James held her tightly, totally bewildered but she couldn't form any kind of coherent statement. Sirius rubbed her leg, trying to soothe her but her entire focus was on James. She ran her hands along his face, hair and body just to feel him there as she kept her eyes glued to his hazel orbs. Questions floated through her mind as she once again threw her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. Who was the boy who looked so much like him? A son? A grandson?

"What the bloody hell did you prats do?" Lilly's cold voice hissed from the doorway, James and Sirius just looked at her, pleading silently with their eyes for her help.

"It...wasn't...dead...but.." Hermione flung herself at her sister sobbing, not able to form a complete coherent sentence. Lily quickly grabbed a calming drought from her bag and forced her to sit on the empty bench. Remus hovered by the doorway looking uncertain.

"I'm sorry moony, but I need you to guard the compartment, make sure no one comes close." Sirius stood toe to toe with his werewolf friend. His expression grim as he nodded, Remus turned and closed the door behind him. Sirius started warding the space, making sure no one would over hear them.

"Hermione snap out of it!" Lily hissed frantically, making Hermione jump, she blinked owlishly at her sister for a moment before taking a shuddering breath.

"It wasn't James. It was Harry. It wasn't James, not James." Hermione mumbled quietly, gripping James's hand tightly in her own.

"Who's Harry?" Lily asked quietly, rubbing Hermione by the cheeks and tilting her head up to look at her sister's tear stained face.

"Don't know. Wasn't James." Hermione choked, using her free hand to push her sister's hands away to wipe the tears from her face. James was frozen, his eyes trained on Hermione's face intently.

"What did you see?" Lily grabbed Hermione's cheeks again and forced her to meet her probing gaze.

"It's fading, there was a monster...they were warriors...they fought like nothing I have ever seen...but he died." Hermione pulled away from them and buried her face in her hands.

"Do you see things like this often?" Sirius asked cautiously, putting a comforting arm around James's shoulders.

"She has them almost every night, usually she can't remember. Did Harry look a lot like James?" Lily tried to pry her hands from Hermione's face, but her sister shook her head and took a steadying breath.

"Yes, but..." Hermione paused trying hard to remember them all sitting around the table, talking. The way he looked at the brown haired girl, it was all too fuzzy. It was already fading. "I can't remember."

"It's okay. Cause we can stop it."James said in a firm voice. Hermione looked at him with sad eyes, she couldn't remember ever seeing any of them in her dreams.


	42. Chapter 42

As they entered the great hall, James and Sirius sauntered in with their arms around Hermione, smug smirks on their faces. They made a huge display of sitting her between them and trying to pile food onto her plate, anything to take her mind off the dream she had on the train. Their house mates laughed as James celebrated their conquest by lovingly kissing her cheeks and loudly proclaiming their undying love. Hermione was about to snap as she batted James's hand away from trying to actually feed her.

"I'm your girlfriend, not physically impaired." Hermione growled as she glared them.

"Well, mental impairment would explain why you're their girlfriend." Lily quipped with a strained smile, still feeling uneasy about her sister's episode on the train. Remus tried to question her but she refused to say a word about it.

"They have been waiting for this day for...3 years?" Remus looked at his friends with a small smile. He was still turning over the scene he walked into earlier on the train and he intended to get information out of them when they got to the dorm, seeing as his girlfriend was so tight lipped about it.

"Right, it's the 5th anniversary of the first time I proposed." Sirius snorted, winking at Hermione with a cocky smile.

"Please, more like demanded. You didn't even have a ring-" Hermione paused with wide eyes as she noticed the gleam in his eye. "Not that I'm asking for one, I'm perfectly fine with the necklace." She put her hands up quickly as Sirius opened his mouth to retort. Peter suddenly sneezed and there were loud explosions from under all four of the house tables, bright sparks came flying from under the head table, colliding with the enchanted ceiling.

HERMIONE ROSE EVANS

IS OURS!

HANDS OFF, SLIMY GITS

SINCERELY,

JAMES POTTER AND SIRIUS BLACK

PRESENTATIONS MADE POSSIBLE BY

THE MARAUDERS

The words fell from the ceiling and looked like shooting stars as they fell onto the house tables in puffs of magical glitter. Hermione thought the display was very pretty and she was truly impressed with their handy work, wondering when and how they possibly could have set it up. The effect was lost as most of the hall was staring at Hermione between Sirius and James. The witch's face was as red as her hair and she narrowed her eyes at her boyfriends, who were smiling smugly. Lily hid her face in Remus's shoulder. Remus and Peter shared uneasy look as they waited for her reaction.

"I do not belong to anyone, you twittering numpties." Hermione hissed before shooting them both with overpowered stinging hexes. James and Sirius yelped, leaping away from the witch as they grabbed their backsides. "Keep that in mind, next time."

"Next time?" James asked hopefully, leaning forward with a besotted smile.

"Are you retiring?" Hermione drawled slowly with a smirk.

"No, you just seemed upset..." Sirius scooted closer to Hermione, unsure how to proceed.

"I knew you were idiots before I agreed to this, showing me I was right will not make me leave you." Hermione sighed dramatically at the shocked look on their faces. Her emerald eyes scanned the great hall, landing on Severus at the Slytherin table who appeared to be in pain. A part of her wanted to comfort him, talk to him but another part, a larger part, wanted to string him up by his toes for hurting her sister.

"We are geniuses, we have been planning this since 4th year." James exclaimed proudly, relaxing as he shamelessly rubbed his sore backside. Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek before turning and doing the same to Sirius.

Remus failed to get anything out of James and Sirius about what happened to Hermione. They made him swear never to speak of it again, not even to Peter. He didn't like that his best mates and his mate were keeping things from him so he avoided them as much as he could. It had been almost 2 months since he had a proper conversation with any of his friends, even Amelia who just looked on at the rift in friendship with confusion. Lily and Hermione still acted the same around him so apparently this wasn't something new they were hiding from him but James and Sirius were constantly on edge and sometimes disappeared to have hushed private conversations.

 _"Dorea! Run!" Charles screamed as he whirled on the spot with his wand out, the ray of light cut into the cloaked figure he was fighting. Hermione's eyes were wide in fright as Dorea shook her head before running to join her husband in the fight against five masked wizards._

 _"Come along quietly and you too can serve our Lord!" One of the men hissed from behind his bone mask as he hurled another sickly green curse at the older couple. They were alone in a dark room Hermione couldn't recognize but she knew immediately it was like the vision she had of Sirius and his mother._

 _"Dorea, get out!" Charlie screamed as he summoned a great gust of wind that knocked two men on their backsides, his wife sneered as she conjured a shield that covered them from behind._

 _"I'll not leave you!" Dorea snarled and Hermione was taken back at the blood lust she saw in the normally kind woman's eyes. Faster than could be believed, Dorea whipped her wand around head in a great circle and conjured a black flamed rope that hurtled through the air and wrapped around one of the men's throat. There was a pain filled scream that filled the air as he fell to his knees and dropped his wand in an attempt to loosen the burning binds._

 _"No!" Hermione screamed as three plumes of black smoke appeared out of nowhere and dived directly into the Potters. They didn't hear her and after a brief scuffle, Dorea and Charles were disarmed and held by two masked men in heavy black robes._

 _"Our Lord is quite anxious to meet you." A husky voice said just loud enough for Hermione to hear._

Hermione found herself in the library with a very concerned Hufflepuff shaking her none too gently. She blinked owlishly as Amelia tried to wrap her arms around Hermione's shoulders. Shaking her head, she stumbled to her feet before she was running, her bag and books left behind. Ignoring the stares and whispers about her disheveled appearance, Hermione roughly pushed her school mates out of the way in her pursuit to warn her boyfriend.

"James! They're coming for your mum and dad!" Hermione rushed into the sixth year boys dormitory, throwing herself into James's arms. Her face was stained with tears and she looked like she just run the length of the castle.

"Mya, calm down. It's okay, it won't happen." James muttered into her hair as his own heart felt like it would pound its way out of his chest. Sirius came bursting into the room next, followed closely by Lily.

"Go, now!" Hermione shrieked, pushing James to the door. Lily looked at Remus wearily, knowing that she couldn't possible tell him about her sister.

"Prongs, go. I've got her. Call me on the mirror if you need us." Sirius said calmly as he grabbed the shivering girl, he gently placed her on his bed with her head on his lap. When he started to run his fingers through her sweaty hair, Hermione was asleep within minutes.

"So, anyone plan on explaining what's going on?" Remus growled after a lengthy silence where Lily refused to meet his gaze.

"Remus, please understand. We can't tell you." Lily edged towards him slowly, her bright green eyes pleading with him to understand.

"Why not?" Remus huffed, falling heavily down on his bed.

"It's not our secret to tell. You wouldn't like it if one of your friends divulged your secret would you?" Lily said softly, Remus instantly stiffened as he looked up at his girlfriend with a frown. There was something in her eyes that set him on edge, he had to shake his head to push away such thoughts because there was no way Lily could know about his affliction.

"What secret?" Remus whispered harshly, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked over at Sirius and Hermione. Sirius wasn't even paying the couple any attention as his whole focus was on the sleeping girl in his lap. For a moment Lily faltered but she squared her shoulders at looked up at him with determination.

"Obviously, that secret." Lily grabbed his hand, forcing his focus to her. "I know you have something you've hidden from me, Remus. I also trust you enough to tell me in your own time."

"I don't have any secrets!" Remus snarled as he snatched his hand away from her before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

-0-0-0-

 **No unfortunately the Harry Potter from canon can never be born in this story, either he will have two dads or a weredaddy. Don't worry, he'll keep the green eyes, it would be a shame to lose them. Still working on how that would work in the epilogue, let's not carry one the Black tradition of cousincest. :) also, does anyone know the cute name for a Draco/Hermione/Harry pairing because honestly, Gratterfoy makes me cringe.**


	43. Chapter 43

James came bursting into Professor McGonagall's office, out of breath and teetering precariously on the edge of hysteria. For the first time, it occurred to him that the girl he's been hopelessly enamored with since the first time he saw that fiery hair that she was actually a seer. The deputy headmistress immediately jumped from her seat to approach the boy but the words seemed lodged in his throat. After a few moments of trying to coax whatever he was trying to tell her, she grew impatient and headed towards the fireplace.

"I'll just call Albus." McGonagall said with a sigh, shaking her head in annoyance, thinking he was distracting her so his friends could set up for some prank.

"No! Please! I just need to speak with my mother, it's very important and the headmaster can't know." James pleaded as he stood to his feet, wondering idly when he sat down. He was far to engrossed in his own thoughts of Hermione and the danger her life would be in if anyone ever discovered her gift.

"Why couldn't the headmaster know?" She took a step away from in confusion.

"It's House Potter business and its urgent." James said stiffly, belatedly remembering his years of being taught pureblood protocol by his father.

"Very well, just make it quick." The deputy headmistress said with a frown. James quickly rushed past her to kneel at the hearth to call his mother.

"James! Is something wrong?" Dorea's face appeared quickly, her voice laced with concern.

"I spoke to Mya, she said he's coming tonight. You need to get out." James said in a low voice, casting an anxious glance towards his professor.

"That's not possible James, the wards. No one can get past them, after all I'm meeting your father momentarily for some gathering at the ministry." Dorea frowned skeptically.

"Mum, please. I didn't get anything specific, she just rushed in and said he was coming for you tonight and you needed to be warned." James pleaded urgently with his mother.

"Very well, I'll send a message to your father to come home immediately. Perhaps a holiday would be nice." Dorea sighed after a moment of contemplation, trying to hide the worry from showing on her face.

"Thank you." James breathed a sigh of relief as he stood. He turned to find his professor standing by her desk, watching him wearily. "Thank you for allowing me to use your floo. Professor." James said with a charming smile before rushing from her office. He ran all the way to the Gryffindor tower and up to their dormitory where the occupants were glaring at each other while Hermione slept peacefully on Sirius's lap.

"Did you talk to mum?" Sirius asked quickly, his hands pausing momentarily as he looked at James with concern.

"Yes, mum and dad are going to take a holiday." James breathed, obvious relief showing on his face. He looked over to see Remus and Lily on opposite ends of the bed, looking uncomfortable.

"I suppose you won't tell me either, Prongs?" Remus asked tightly while he clenched his teeth.

"Moony, there's nothing to tell." James sighed and climbed onto the bed beside Hermione.

"That is bullshit and you know it!" Remus growled, jumping to his feet.

"So, tell me are you always this temperamental or is it your time of the month, Wolfie?" Hermione asked as she sat up slowly, ignoring James and Sirius's offered hands.

"What are you...I don't know...what are you talking about?" Remus sputtered as he took a panicked step backwards.

"Ah, so you are allowed your secrets but I'm not allowed mine?" Hermione asked with an arched brow, making Remus bristle.

"She is my mate! She should not be keeping secrets from me." Remus snapped harshly, pointing at the silent girl on his bed.

"But you can keep secrets from her!" Hermione jumped from the bed and looked up to the werewolf, pointing an accusing finger into his chest. "Don't try to deny it!"

"I've been waiting for months, giving her plenty of time!" Remus retorted quickly, his face scrunched up guiltily. Lily stayed silent on his bed, looking nervously between her sister and boyfriend, hoping that he would finally trust her enough to tell her the truth she already knew.

"And she has waited longer for you to tell her if she is your mate!" Hermione hissed, her green eyes narrowing dangerously.

"That's not-no!." Remus backed away from Hermione as her words washed over him and he sent a panicked glance at the silent Lily.

"She has waited years for you to tell her your secret. Quite patiently, I might add." Hermione growled, advancing on him with her jaw set stubbornly.

"Mya, stop!" Lily finally found her voice, putting a hand out to grab her sister.

"What secret?" Remus asked nervously, eyes focused on James and Sirius filled with betrayal but neither of them moved.

"Very well, if that's how you want to play it. I hope you know, your friends would never break a promise to you. Even for their girlfriend. Just like my sister would never break her word to me." Hermione stepped away from him slowly. Lily quickly ran from the room without a backwards glance. Hermione kissed both James and Sirius on the cheek before following her sister, leaving the boys frozen in their wake.

"Do you think they know?" Remus asked timidly after a long uncomfortable silence.

"Hey guys! What did I miss?" Peter popped into the room with a cheery smile.


	44. Chapter 44

_The room was dark, again. Hermione was finding herself increasing accustomed to this drab room. Most of her dreams since the beginning of the school year were focused on 'Mione, Harry, and Malfoy. There was nothing informative, no rituals or magic, unless one would think being locked in a room with three people shagging furiously was magic. They probably did, she thought bitterly to herself as she tried to look anywhere but the bed._

 _"Yes...right there..." A feminine voice moaned appreciatively, earning a squeak from Hermione as she clutched her cheeks and couldn't help but take a peek at the trio on the bed. The wizards had the bushy haired witch pressed tightly between them and they were kissing furiously over her shoulder._

 _"Fuck..." Malfoy's deep voice practically purred as 'Mione dug her nails into his shoulders and turned her head to bite down on Harry's exposed neck. Earning a grunt from the raven haired who was reaching around the petite witch to grab the blond's smooth, white backside to pull him even closer._

 _"Is this all you do?!" Hermione demanded, absolutely mortified that they continued without even acknowledging her. They never did, she should be used to it but she was trapped, watching until they seemed to come to a release together and collapse in a pile of limbs._

 _It didn't help that her time with James and Sirius was severely limited with Lily doing her passive aggressive dance with her wolf. Not that they advanced to such a stage in their relatively new relationship, both were complete gentlemen and it was always her that seemed to get carried away. She wondered idly why she never saw any of these dreams when she was younger, it wasn't until she accepted she might have feelings for two men that they started._

 _"Draco..." Harry groaned deep in his throat, making Hermione turn as red as her hair while she stared at the book case in front of her with intensity. There was a diverse mixture of muggle and magical literature, definitely not text books and most were older than what one would find in the Hogwarts library. Not for the first time she wished she could interact with her dreams. Not only so she could demand answers out of the trio on the bed but also to take advantage of the many books they always had piled up in the room._

 _Why was she trapped here in these dreams? Were they trying to tell her something? Maybe it was just her hormones, with only a few stolen kisses to last for nearly a month she felt she might explode from all the teasing a lingering glances from her Gryffindors._

When she woke up, sweaty and flustered she automatically grabbed her wand from beneath her pillow to extract the memory of the dream. She stopped herself when she looked down at the phials lined up in her bedside drawer, at least ten of them were practically the same thing. With a sigh she stuffed the newest dream away and pulled out her journal to record a short note, not wanting to go into detail. Turning over, she saw Lily sleeping peacefully, holding onto something that looked suspiciously like Remus's jumper. With that she grabbed her thick black cloak and made her way down to the common room with a book in hand.

"Why hello." A deep voice startled her as she reached the last step. Sitting by the fire were James and Sirius, both leaning over a very familiar piece of parchment.

"Good evening boys." Hermione couldn't help but smile happily as she practically skipped over to the sofa and plopped down between them.

"Couldn't sleep?" James asked, his voice light but laced with concern, Sirius took advantage of the distraction and slipped the handwritten notes and map into his rucksack.

"Mm, dreams." Hermione sighed as she relaxed into James's side, feeling content as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Anything we should know?" Sirius asked as he relaxed onto the arm of the sofa and pulled her feet into his lap. She was silent as her cheeks filled with color, images flashed in her mind of a curly haired witch intertwined with two very toned wizards.

"No." Hermione squeaked, shaking her head to try and rid herself of the images.

"Oh, were you havin-" Sirius started with a lecherous grin but Hermione kicked him lightly in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

"Not another word." Hermione hissed, burying her face into James's side to hide her burning cheeks. Peeking up at the silently laughing laughing boy, she scowled.

"So, you know about Remus?" Sirius blurted abruptly, drawing their attention back to him.

Hermione was silent for a moment as she thought about all the things she knew about Remus. Unbidden, flashes of an older Remus came to mind, holding a newborn baby with a look of terror on his face beside a witch with magenta hair. A shabby, too thin Remus lecturing a class on hinky puffs and a painful, terrifying transformation but the womping willow. "If you mean that he's a werewolf, Lily figured it out years ago."

"Why haven't you said anything?" James asked after he shared an incredulous glance with Sirius.

"Tuney said to let him decide when to tell..." Hermione sighed sadly as Sirius picked at her fuzzy socks with a bemused expression on his face. "If he doesn't hurry, I'll have to think of a way to get him to admit it."

"And how will you manage that?" Sirius asked skeptically, moving his warm hands from her feet to grasp her calves. "He doesn't like talking about it, at all."

"I can be quite persuasive." She whispered ominously with a smirk.

"That sounds like a challenge." James smiled wickedly as he looked between Hermione and Sirius.

"Yes, I do believe..." Sirius licked his lips as he continued trailing his hands up Hermione's legs with a devious grin. "We should help-"

"-in the effort and pursuit of love, of course." James finished in a husky whisper into Hermione's hair, making her shiver.

"You can't just tell him that we already know." Hermione said in an even voice, proud of herself that she didn't dissolve into a puddle as James pulled her hair away from her neck so he could rest his chin on her shoulder.

"Every man for himself?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes shimmering gleefully at the prospect of a challenge.

"Or woman..." Hermione grinned happily as she wiggled her toes into Sirius's side, making him jump.

"What are the stakes?" James pondered aloud, his breath tickling the sensitive skin of Hermione's neck.

"I want alone time with Mya, Hogsmeade." Sirius said immediately with a huge grin.

"Fine, when I win then I get her for the entire afternoon and evening." James stated arrogantly, raising a challenging brow.

"Oh, so I'm just a prize to be won." Hermione scoffed, ending their staring contest and they both turned to her with matching wolfish smiles.

"Don't act like it would be a hardship to have this body all to yourself for an entire afternoon." Sirius purred as he trailed his fingers all the way to her knees with a smug grin on his face.

"It's not going to cause a fight between you?" Hermione asked hesitantly, trying to fight the blush that was creeping up her cheeks as James chuckled behind her.

"We will never fight over you..." James trailed off with a contemplative expression on his face. "That didn't sound right, the bond...I don't get jealous of Sirius."

"BUT." Sirius interjected as Hermione looked between them in confusion. "We are two very competitive men. I'm sure when I win Prongsie here will be a good sport and keep Wormy company while you and I spend some quality time together."

"So, what about when I win?" Hermione cut off James, who just opened his mouth to fire off an arrogant retort. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach at the prospect of either of her boys alone with Peter.

"What else, love?" James scoffed, puffing out his chest as he let his hands drop down to her hips to give her an appreciative squeeze. "You'll get all the pleasure of having both of us for the Hogsmeade trip."

"No, I think I want something else." Hermione smiled wickedly as they both deflated with exaggerated pouts on their faces.

"What more could you want?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence, the glint in her eyes making him nervous.

"I want to see you and James..." Hermione leaned back into James's arms while pressing her foot in Sirius's chest to lightly push him back into the armrest of the sofa while she licked her lips. "Kiss."

-0-

"Lily won't talk to me." Remus sighed dejectedly as he plopped down beside Peter in the common room.

"It wasn't the best way to inform someone you are their mate and you still haven't told her your furry little problem." Sirius said absently as he studied the game of chess he was playing with James.

"Well, excuse me for not wanting to scare her off. Not like she will stay once she knows." Remus said bitterly and snatched Peter's essay out of his hands to review it. James and Sirius exchanged a calculating glance as before the turned to watch their friend with amused smiles.

"Lily has always been nice to me, I'm sure you should just tell her." Peter said with a reassuring pat on the back.

"I don't expect you to understand, Wormy." Remus growled as he viciously scratched through the mistakes on his friend's poorly written essay.

"Pretty sure they both know, Moon Pie." James smirked as his rook took out Sirius's bishop in a brutal manner. His best friend threw his a pointed glare and James huffed, rolling his eyes.

"No way, unless you told your girlfriend." Remus said. James and Sirius stiffened before slowly turning to their friend with narrowed eyes. Peter shrank behind Remus under their angry glares but Remus continued to correcting the essay with a flourish.

"Even though I personally hate lying to Mya, she has never asked." Sirius growled, their game completely forgotten.

"I would also like to point out that she told you herself that we would never betray your trust." James hissed angrily.

"Then what? Is she fucking clairvoyant? A bloody seer?" Remus snorted mockingly but noticed when both James and Sirius went rigid. "Mya is a seer?!" Remus exclaimed loudly. Luckily they were the only ones in the common room. They heard a gasp before two stunning spells came from the stair case. Peter was thrown to the floor unconscious immediately but Remus dropped to the ground and scrambled for his wand.

"Levicorpus." Lily hissed, Remus was flipped roughly into the air up by his ankle, where he dangled with his knuckles barely dragging along the carpet. "You're a bleeding idiot."

"What the hell, Lily?!" Remus bellowed, his face turning red. Lily quickly muttered a silencing charm on the common room. James and Sirius were now standing with their wands out.

"Be quiet while I erase this conversation from Peter's memory." Lily growled as she stomped over to the unconscious boy. She quickly obliviated the boy with a quick flourish of her wand before levitating him to one of the arm chairs and placed a sleeping spell on him.

"How do you know memory charms? Are you sure you didn't fry his brain?" James asked worriedly as he looked over his friend, snoring peacefully.

"As if she could scramble him worse." Sirius scoffed, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

"Have you met my sisters? Mya has the entire Hogwarts library memorized and Tuney is more paranoid than the Queen's secret service." Lily snorted as she advanced on her boyfriend with a disappointed grimace.

"Lily what are you doing?! You can't just go around erasing people's memories!" Remus shouted as he flailed his arms out wildly, his body swinging awkwardly.

"No point in doing that, Lils it won't work." Hermione said softly as she moved into the room.

"Why not? I'm sure it worked with Peter...I would feel terrible to have to do this to my own idiot boyfriend but..." Lily chewed her lip as she looked at her angry beau glaring back at them.

"Just won't. Make him swear an oath to never tell or allude to anyone that I'm a seer." Hermione sighed, giving her sister a significant look.

"You are a seer?!" Remus exclaimed, feeling foolish as most of his blood had rushed to his head.

"Just swear it, Remus." Sirius snapped as he approached Hermione with a concerned frown. The swinging werewolf roughly dragged his calloused hands over his face to try and push away the lightheaded feeling.

"Have you heard from Dorea, yet?" Hermione asked quietly and held out her hand for James.

"Yes, they are both staying in their summer home for a couple weeks but some other couple was ambushed outside the ministry..." James murmured sadly as he stood just beside her with their hands together.

"It will be okay. So, now that you know my secret...you can quit being an idiot, right Wolfie?" Hermione smiled sadly at Remus.

"Yeah, I guess I understand why you didn't want us to know...but why let me know and not Peter?" Remus asked, casting a worried glance at Peter after Lily released him from the spell with a quick flick of her wand.

"I'm not letting you know anything, I know the charm won't work on you. I also don't trust Peter." Hermione shrugged indifferently, ignoring the incredulous looks from her boyfriends.

"Why won't the charm work on me?" Remus asked nervously, his eyes shifting between the twins anxiously.

"Haven't you learned your lesson? Don't ask questions if you aren't prepared for the answer." Hermione scoffed impatiently, as looked at him over her shoulder, a disappointed frown marring her face.

-0-0-0-

 **The last chapter was supposed to be uploaded last Monday. I saw it when I was uploading a new story. Oops.**

 **Darmony...I like it. That and Mantter, even if it confuses me. Thank you for the suggestions!**


	45. Chapter 45

Sav 45

Remus was now avoiding everyone and while Hermione wanted nothing more than to throttle her werewolf friend, Lily wasn't taking it well at all. So Hermione was hiding away with her sister, who was pining for her ridiculous boyfriend. James and Sirius were on edge constantly because Hermione only told them that she would need time to help her sister. Petunia had never been so angry that she wasn't allowed anywhere near Hogwarts, otherwise Remus probably wouldn't have much skin to shed on the next full moon.

"He's not rejecting you, Lils!" Hermione repeated for what had to be the tenth time that morning.

"Sure feels that way." Lily sighed miserably as she pulled on her uniform.

"He's scared you will reject him once you know about him!" Hermione huffed impatiently, she didn't even feel guilty anymore. This was a 12th day of their self imposed exile and she just hated seeing her sister so miserable.

"You don't understand! He doesn't trust me with his secret and I couldn't trust him with yours! He can can't even acknowledge that I'm his mate, maybe I'm not! How can I be if he's able stay away from me like this? I've read all about werewolf mates, Mya!" Lily wailed as she jerkily ran a brush through her hair.

"I don't know what to do, Lils." Hermione sighed sadly as she sat beside her sister on the twin size bed.

"Tuney would know what to do." Lily grumbled as she gave up and threw her hair into a messy bun. Hermione nodded but sudden inspiration hit her and a wicked smile bloomed on her face.

"Tomorrow's the full moon." Hermione cried out victoriously as she whipped out her wand, Lily eyed her manic sister's wand wearily when she started waving it around her.

When the twins entered the great hall, there was a hush as Lily Evans strut up to the Gryffindor table looking like they've never seen her before. Normally, the Evans twins were conservative girls with longer than regulation skirts and baggy robes but this morning Lily dressed to show off her figure. Her skirt was at least three and half inches above her knees and her shirt was tight enough to show her slim waist and bust. She smiled at the admiring boys and even winked at a few. The marauders sat, dumbfounded that Lily was encouraging other boys to look at her with such blatant appreciation. Hermione simply smiled encouragingly at her sister, before leaving her with some seventh years and sitting between James and Sirius.

"What the hell is going on?" Remus growled as she sat down and started to fill her plate.

"It appears her mate doesn't want her so she has decided to move on." Hermione said airily as she buttered her toast, not bothering to look up at the fuming werewolf.

"What are you talking about, Evans?" Remus hissed, Sirius and James glared at their friend but Hermione seemed completely unaffected.

"You are an idiot. Until there comes a time you can stop being an idiot, Lily is free to do as she pleases." Hermione smirked and watched the werewolf, his eyes flashed amber momentarily as he turned to see Lily fluttering her lashes and flipping her long red hair over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Sirius hissed in Hermione's ear, watching his friend with just a little trepidation. Remus was usually more aggressive around the full moon and everyone in their dorm knew the lunar calendar by heart.

"She's better off." Remus said in a strained voice aft a long moment of just staring at Lily with longing. Hermione's patience snapped and she lunged across the table, grabbing his tie to pull him up and towards her with surprising strength.

"She is your mate. What kind of wolf are you that you would allow those plebeians to touch what is yours?" Hermione hissed through clenched teeth, her emerald eyes narrowed dangerously. Remus's normally soft green eyes turned completely amber as he pulled away from Hermione.

"She's mine." Remus growled as he stood up stiffly, stalking to where Lily was making a spectacle of herself. The redhead was watching him from the corner of her eye when he suddenly lifted her from the seat and carried her, bridal style, from the hall. Lily shrieked and beat her fists against his chest in rage. Hermione rolled her eyes at the dramatic display, Lily said she would channel her 'inner Tuney'. Somehow she didn't think her older sister would ever act like an indignant damsel but she was drawn from her musings by James laying a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find her boyfriends looking at her expectantly.

"Well?" James snapped impatiently. Hermione smiled sweetly before throwing her arms around him.

"I've missed you." Hermione sighed and kissed him softly. James relaxed instantly and pulled her close, deepening their kiss. Someone cleared their throat loudly interrupting them.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter! 10 points each from Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall barked, her scowl showing how displeased she was. Hermione sighed before grabbing James and Sirius by their hands leading them from the great hall.

"I win!" Hermione called out happily they shared an uneasy glance above her head.

"How do you figure?" Sirius drawled, looking conflicted. His friend was finally going to make up with his girlfriend and stop being a moody git, on the other hand...he lost the bet.

"Yeah, just cause Moody goes all alpha, jealous fur monster doesn't mean that he's going to finally tell your sister about his...furry little problem." James smirked triumphantly as he was blindly lead through the corridors.

"When will you learn?" Hermione,augured happily, perfectly fine with ignoring their questions. Remus would be informing her sister of his monthly or she would be informing him. Either way, she won.

They were silent as they made their way through the winding corridors until they made it to the seventh floor, James and Sirius looked puzzled as Hermione paced in front of a black wall. Suddenly, a door appeared before them and Hermione looked confused as she ran her fingers over the ancient knots of wood. With determination, she pushed the door open to find a seemingly endless chamber filled with monstrous piles of random objects. James and Sirius were right behind her as they took in the room with wide eyes.

"What is this place?" James asked in awe as he moved past Hermione and Sirius and rummaged through the nearest pile eagerly, throwing books and a broken magical artifacts over his shoulder before pulling out an ancient, spindly broom.

"Is that a Nimbus?!" Sirius exclaimed as he rushed forward to look at the old broom as if it were the most precious thing on earth.

"I think it is, Pads!" James sang gleefully as he held the broom out with both hands gingerly, afraid he would damage it. The broom only hand a handful of bristles left and only N M US could be made our in faded gold writing on the handle.

"Wow..." Sirius whispered as he reached out and stroked the broom stick reverently, making Hermione roll her eyes at the boys antics. Just a with a quick glance she could see countless ancient tomes and antique magical artifacts but of course her boyfriends would find the oldest broom they could find and treat it like a treasure.

"Boys!" Hermione scoffed as she made her way to a dusty, overstuffed sofa and sat down heavily. She coughed as cloud of dust enveloped her and her eyes burned while she stumbled to her feet. James handed Sirius the broom as he wrapped a supportive arm around her waist.

"You alright?" James asked after her coughing fit subsided, Hermione smirked at him, looking at him through red, puffy eyes.

"No distracting me!" She said coyly as she snatched the old broom stick from Sirius's hands and stood back from them with a wide grin.

James and Sirius were silent for a moment as they stared at each other, having a silent conversation with only their eyes. Sirius turned to her first with a wicked grin. "Is there a reason you're so anxious to see us kiss? You never know..."

"Pads might just fall in love with me after just one intensely passionate embrace. He'll finally realize what's been right in front of him the whole time." James smirked as she moved to stand beside Sirius, just slightly shorter and they seemed to have no awkwardness or discomfort with the impending kiss.

"Pfft!" Sirius scoffed as he threw an arm around James's shoulders and angled his body so that they were pressed into each other intimately. Hermione watched them with rapt attention for any signs of distress or...anything else. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about her boyfriends kissing each other but she had to know. Her dreams of the other triad plagued her, left her with images of this very thing happening and she couldn't deny her curiosity any longer. "Prongsie, you're already half in love with me. Not to mention, I like redheads."

"As if you could ever deny all this!" James's smile widened as he waved his hand down his body to emphasize his point, his face only inches away from his best friend's. Hermione was just about to open her mouth to ask them to hurry up when Sirius closed the distance and sealed James's mouth with his own. Her eyes widened comically as they wrapped their arms around each other and moaned loudly in the back of their throats. It took a moment for her to snap out of her stupor, realizing that they kissed nothing like the boys in her dreams. It lacked heat...and tongue, they seemed to be competing who could mess the other's hair up most. She was honestly surprised Sirius lasted as long as he did, an entire five seconds.

"Satisfied, love?" James smirked as he pulled away from Sirius, his lips puffy from the harsh, closed mouth kiss they shared. Sirius was hurriedly attempting to smooth his wild hair, quite a challenge with no mirror.

"That's it?" Sirius demanded in outrage, pressing both hands over his heart dramatically as he looked at James in mock betrayal. "Where's my ring?!"

"Mm, sorry." James chuckled as he pushed Sirius away from him playfully before wrapping his arms around Hermione to bend her low and kiss her with much more passion than he mustered for Sirius. She didn't know how long he cradled her in his arms but she was nearly gasping for air. When he pulled away, his eyes were darker than she'd ever seen before and he turned to Sirius with a wolfish smile. "I like redheads.


	46. Chapter 46

_Back in the shabby kitchen, they were younger this time, happier. It was 'Mione, Harry...Hermione's breath caught as she watched the two older men. Remus and Sirius. She hurriedly ran around the kitchen, waiting for James to come, Lily, or even herself. Maybe Amelia? Or dare she hope Sev... Her dreams were becoming more and more vivid, yet still alluding her after she woke. After a few minutes she observed her much older boyfriend, he looked like he had been starved for years with his slightly sunken cheeks and lack luster hair. She almost didn't want to know what kept Sirius away from his beloved hair products, then her eyes wandered down his body. Sirius Black was covered in tattoos all the way to his knuckles, the top buttons of his shirt were open and she could clearly see crude runes etched onto his chest._

 _"There was no one your father loved more, Harry." Remus beamed, his eyes slightly glazed as he looked between the young teens. She saw Harry's eyes get misty and the girl, 'Mione, held his hand tightly in her own._

 _"Who else was there? He chased your mother from the moment she stepped foot into Hogwarts. I think it was her red hair that drew him in, or it was her amazing ability to hex him into a puddle that kept him strong for seven years." Sirius smirked, the young man she knew shining through momentarily before the light dimmed in his grey eyes. He took a long sip of his whiskey, looking Remus to continue._

 _"What was she like?" Harry whispered as he looked between the men hopefully._

 _"She was the top of our class, the kindest woman I've ever known. She saw the good in everyone, kind of had to." Remus snorted, shaking his head fondly with a small sad smile on his face._

 _"Yeah, she was best friends with Snivelly for a long time, always defending the git," Sirius sneered, slamming his grimy glass to the table with more force than necessary before pouring himself another drink._

 _"What were her hobbies? Favorite courses?" 'Mione asked eagerly, scooting her chair closer to Harry so that she was nearly in his lap, not that he seemed to mind._

 _"She was very talented in charms and potions, she was a lot like you, 'Mione, actually. Always working hard to do her absolute best and show compassion for everyone she met." Remus smiled warmly, his eyes distant as he looked over her shoulder._

 _"Must be the Potter men's weakness, can't resist the smartest witch in their class." Sirius smiled knowingly at the teens blushing faces._

 _"There was no one James Potter loved more than Lily Evans." Remus smiled wistfully._

Hermione woke with a start and immediately went to copy what she could remember of the dream. With a flourish of her wand she bottled the memory quickly and placed it into the case on her night stand. She sat up in her bed and stared at her sister for a long moment before glancing down at the words she wrote.

 _There was no one James Potter loved more than Lily Evans_

Throwing on her robe, she silently made her way to the boy's dormitory. Her heart racing, the words kept repeating in her mind. It made no sense, James and Sirius talked about marrying her. How could Sirius talk about James and Lily? How could Remus talk about James and Lily? Slowly she walked on the balls of her feet to James's bed, he was on his back, shirtless, snoring lightly with his mouth wide open. His black hair even messier than usual making her heart ache, he was so handsome. She carefully lowered herself into his bed before pulling the curtains closed and placing a silencing charm about his bed. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. James immediately snuggled closer, groaning in his sleep. His hands traced along her body and he made contented noises until he touched her bare flesh and froze.

"Is this a dream?" James groaned and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the familiar scent.

"Do you har...do you love Lily?" Hermione blurted, her emerald eyes watching him closely as he sprang up and reached for his glasses. James grabbed his wand quickly conjuring a small ball of light that hung suspended above them.

"Mya, what are you doing?" James asked in a panic as he shoved his glasses onto his face.

"Do you love Lily?" Hermione whispered, staring into his hazel eyes for any kind of reaction.

"I thought I made it very clear who I loved." James said softly, taking her wrist and toying with the Potter crest charm on her bracelet. His face looked so hurt and dejected, she couldn't help but lean towards him and place her hand over his. She didn't express her feelings for either James or Sirius, yet. They always talked about the upcoming negotiations that would likely lead to marriage...in the future. A future that seemed very distant to Hermione but the way he so casually said he loved her made her heart race.

"I had a dream, Sirius and Remus were talking about you to your son..." Hermione sighed sadly as she trailed off, trying to remember the details. Only Remus's words echoed into her head with any clarity.

 _There was no one James Potter loved more than Lily Evans_

"How do you know he was my son?" James asked cautiously, pulling her closer two that she was practically in his lap.

"He looked just like you, shorter, much skinnier but with green eyes..." Hermione bit her lip nervously, keeping her eyes focused on their intertwined hands in her lap.

"So...we have a son?" James said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"No, we don't. You and Lily do." Hermione's breath hitched as she tried to remember Harry's face, it was disturbing how much he resembled James, he was one of the regulars of her childhood dreams.

"That's ridiculous! She's Remus's mate. I'm your boyfriend. You see how many rules that breaks?" James asked incredulously, rubbing the pad of his thumb in circles on her hand. "Annnd she's your sister, I think Tuney would have something to say about that."

"James...I..." Hermione faltered, a conflicted expression on her face as she finally tilted her head up to look at him.

"Do your dreams always come true?" James asked quietly, he reached out and gently cupped her cheek, forcing her to meet his probing gaze.

"I'm not sure...its not like with the visions. I've had these dreams since I was very young. I've dreamed of these people before. I think they are in the distant future...like another life." She whispered, leaning into his touch and closing her eyes.

"It won't happen. I love you. I have since the moment you told me you never rode a broom. I was so excited to teach you." James smiled wistfully. "Do you remember Lilly's reaction? She scoffed at me, my poor 11 year old ego could take her maliciousness."


	47. Chapter 47

"What did you say about my hair?!" Sirius looked heartbroken, in disbelief not that his girlfriend would dream of the future but that his hair could have possibly suffered such a cruel fate.

"That's what you get out of this? Really?" James hissed in annoyance, snapping his fingers to draw Sirius's gaze away from the mirror.

"You really believe you'll just up and walk away from Mya? For Lily?" Sirius scrunched his face in distaste before turning back to the mirror and petting his hair lovingly.

James stared at him for a long moment before rubbing his face tiredly and letting out a long suffering sigh. "She was really worried about it, Pads! Woke me up at three in the bloody morning asking me if I was in love with Lily! Mya looked so betrayed."

"Maybe it was just a dream. It's not impossible for her to just have dreams, she's not just a seer, you know. She's Mya, bookworm, best seeker I've ever seen but refuses to join the team because she's too paranoid to be the center of attention, the girl that punched Lucius Malfoy for being a git to her best friend in 2nd year! The girl who we have been chasing and begging her to marry us since we met. Those are facts." Sirius said passionately, finally turning away from the mirror.

"What if though? She said you didn't even mention her? I don't even think of Lily without thinking Mya so why wouldn't you be telling him about his amazing Auntie Mya? Why would Remus be so okay with me making a baby with his mate?" James furrowed his brows angrily and his lip curled in disgust at the thought.

"James, do you have any feelings beyond the scope of friendship for Lily?" Sirius asked bluntly with a roll of his eyes, his fingers idly toying with the many hair potions he had in the black bag on his lap.

"No! I've tried, before you know? Flirting with other girls, tried to fancy Lily but...I thought if I couldn't have Mya..." James shrugged sheepishly and fell back heavily on his bed.

"Nothing to worry about then." Sirius smiled brightly as he turned back to the mirror with his black bag in hand. James just watched as Sirius took out hair potions and tonics to lavish his shiny hair lovingly. With a sigh he got up to find his girlfriend, he knew his best friend could take hours doting on his hair.

-0-

The following week was filled with Hermione watching her sister and James like a hawk. Although she knew her sister would never betray her or Remus, she couldn't help that Remus's words seemed to repeat in her mind constantly. She found that her sister still had very little contact with her boyfriends, she never seemed to notice before that while Hermione never had issues speaking to Remus, Lily seemed stunted in her conversations with James and Sirius. In fact, every time they would sit down together and discuss pranks or exploring, Lily seemed fit to burst out of her skin to reprimand them.

The fact that Remus and Lily were so sickeningly sweet and devoted to each other helped soothe her suspicions. Ever since Remus dragged Lily from the great hall, they had been joined at the hip. It was difficult for Hermione to even get her sister alone until after curfew, not that she was complaining. Her sister was glowing with happiness as Remus made a show of wrapping himself around her between classes and surprised her with peppermint imps. Remus seemed much more relaxed knowing that Lily fully accepted his lycanthropy, he was much more carefree as he stole kisses and laughed freely.

Hermione reviewed her memory of the dream frequently, probably just to torture herself. She just couldn't get over the way Sirius looked or the way Harry was in her opinion a perfect blend of her and James, even if a bit too skinny. Granted Hermione and Lily were not exactly identical twins, they shared many of the same features, the most most defining would be their eyes and lips. Would hers and James's son look like Harry? The thought made her heart ache because if the dream was real, Harry wasn't hers and James's son, but James and Lilly's.

 _They were in a rundown room with broken furniture and everything was covered in layers of dust and grime. She saw 'Mione, Harry, a ginger boy on a cot, with an obviously crudely taped up leg, standing defiantly against a much older Sirius and Remus. She wandered amongst them, their voices garbled, on the broken canopy bed lay an aged Severus, unconscious and bleeding from his head. It drove her mad, not understanding what was happening. She thought Harry had to be only 12, Sirius was wearing prison robes that hung from his skeleton frame, looking starved and crazed. Remus was looking much worse than she had ever seen him after a full moon._

 _"What would you have had me do? He would have killed me, you have no idea how powerful the dar-" Cried a squat balding man whom Hermione had noticed before. He had large teeth and was quaking before Sirius and Remus's wands._

 _"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED AS WE WOULD HAVE DIED TO PROTECT YOU!" Sirius roared as he jabbed the tubby man in the chest with his wand. Hermione edged closer to inspect him, his watery eyes looking vaguely familiar._

 _"It was stupid of you, to think we would let you get away with it, Peter. If he had not killed you, we would have." Remus said softly, his eyes a brilliant amber as he looked down at the shaking man with fury._

 _"No!" Peter cried out, lunging at Harry, 'Mione quickly tried to step in his path but Peter threw her to the ground. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted this. You know you look just like him! With Lilly's eyes! Lily would have understood! Pl-" Sirius ripped Peter off of the frozen teenager by the back of his filthy robes. Harry quickly reached down and helped the girl to her feet before wrapping his arms around her waist tightly._

 _"Don't even speak to him! It's because of you he doesn't have his parents!12 years of waiting! I'm done!" Sirius paused as he licked his dry chapped lips and looked to the werewolf at his side expectantly. "Moony, together?" He raised his wand to point the glowing tip directly in the man's face, Remus raised his and together they started to speak._

Hermione woke up to her sister shaking her roughly, when she opened her eyes she pulled Lily down into her lap and sobbed into her shirt. Lily looked at her sister worriedly for a moment before wrapping her in her arms tightly. By the time she calmed down the only thing she could remember was that James and Lily were dead and it didn't matter so much anymore that they apparently had a child together.


	48. Chapter 48

_'Mione, Harry, and Malfoy were lying in a large canopy bed that was draped in a green silk. The room was dark but Hermione could see that a heavy layer of dust covered the shelves and knick knacks. Malfoy was leaning against the headboard looking down at 'Mione and Harry as they kissed slowly, with passion. Hermione walked around the room, looking at all the pictures and personal effects. Most of the moving photos looked like they were from Hogwarts, they showed 'Mione, Harry, and some ginger boy. Some showed a large family of redheads, there was only one of the three of them, a man on each side, 'Mione wearing a white sundress, she kissed both men on their cheeks as they wore matching wide grins._

 _"I don't want her to go, you know." A voice startled her, she tuned to see the men sitting side by side on the bed while the brunette lay fast asleep._

 _"Neither do I, but...I was reading her notes. If it works, we could all have the lives we were meant to." Malfoy sighed heavily, reaching out to hold Harry's hand._

 _"You were a complete git until the war, how will you be if she's right and everything's fixed before we're even born?" Harry asked incredulously, tightening his grip on the blond's fingers._

 _"You will probably be a git too. I've heard stories of James Potter tormenting...I mean wooing Lily Evans through the halls." Malfoy smirked as the corners of Harry's lips twitched._

 _"Yeah, everyone says she's just like my mum. I'll chase her, I did chase her but the real question is...will you?" Harry asked with a raised brow._

 _"Even when I still idolized my father, no one had my undivided attention like you two. It may have been fucked up but I did literally anything to get you to look at me." Malfoy said softly, pulling Harry towards him so that he could drape an arm around Harry's narrow shoulders._

 _"You know we have to, right? Luna says this ritual will right the world before the destruction really happens. No witch huntings, no firing squads in Diagon Alley, no more poachers, and lab experiments. The muggles will never know, I will grow up the son of Lily and James Potter, not some sodding boy-who-lived, maybe even have some siblings. Sirius won't be stuck in a Azkaban, he can run around being a man slag...not killed by a bloody curtain. Remus will be able to find his mate, George won't lose his twin. Dumbledore won't have his bloody pawns to sacrifice because there won't be a megalomaniac running around with no nose. We won't be the only fucking magicals left being hunted." Harry ranted angrily as the blond stayed silent beside him, only dragging calming fingers up and down the raven haired wizard's arm.._

 _"What about me? Hermione? You know your husband and wife? Is it so wrong of me to want to run? We have enough gold in this house to live on an island for the rest of our days...shite, we have enough gold for our great grandchildren to live on multiple islands forever. I'll be trapped, watching the loves of my life from across the great hall. You probably making a royal arse of yourself, again. I'll be stuck in some arranged marriage to Pansy or Daphne or maybe even Millicent fucking Bulstrode! If it weren't for this war, I would still be in the manor with my parents having unfulfilling sex with my beautiful but empty headed pureblood wife trying to create an heir. You say this is the only way but why can't we be selfish?" By the end of Malfoy's rant his voice was cracking and he blinked the tears from his eyes furiously._

 _"You really think she would run? This is the girl who almost died freeing the house elves before Hogwarts fell, who warned the centaurs that the wards fell...who shouted the killing curse at Voldemort. As long as there are people suffering, she won't run and hide on some island with us raising a family." Harry said in a low defeated tone, casting a sad glance at the sleeping witch behind them._

 _"This is the darkest magic, Harry. This is sacrificial magic, how do we even know...say Luna is right, we won't know. She might not even come back, might not even be born! So, how could we do this knowing we may never get her back? My bushy haired bookworm, I can't..." Malfoy choked on his words as tears leaked from the corners of his eyes, losing the battle to remain stoic in the face of an uncertain future._

 _"Hey, where would this world be without Hermione Granger? She has to come back and when she does, the world will be better. Even if none of us remember, magic has a way of bringing us together, right?" Harry said softly as he wrapped his both arms tightly around Malfoy's waist._

 _"So, tomorrow. We do this Merlin's Rite ritual...we lose our wife...maybe ourselves. Then wake up in the morning and it's all better? How does that work?" Draco asked in a resigned voice, turning away from Harry to look down at the sleeping witch beside them._

 _"Luna said time is constantly changing, wibbly wobbly or some nonsense. I wish I understood half of what 'Mione and Luna talked about but apparently, we won't know. We won't remember years of running, training, fighting, starving, almost dying." Harry sighed into Malfoy's neck._

 _"Years of love, laughter, stolen moments, Hermione at Yule ball, ambushing you in the bathroom and snogging you senseless, robbing Gringotts, marrying you..." Malfoy whispered as glanced down at Harry, a wistful smile on his face._

 _"We will have them again but better. I'll get to introduce you to my parents, your parents, even Hermione's. Hopefully, you will wise up sooner rather than later and we can be out in the open. We can have a proper wedding, with everyone we love, we can have children because we won't be living in fear for them being hunted." Harry smiled softly as he brought his hands up to wipe the tears from Malfoy's cheeks._

 _"We can go on real dates...not watch Krummy dance with our girl here." Malfoy let out a rueful chuckle before looking down at Harry with an arched brow. "Why didn't you ask her?"_

 _"Oi! I was 14 and by the time I even got the nerve she already heard from everyone I was going to ask bloody Cho Chang. So, she got a fucking quidditch star to prove she wouldn't wait forever." Harry grumbled, glaring at his sleeping wife who remained oblivious._

 _"She should have been Slytherin with me, would have been their queen." Malfoy sighed sadly as he pulled Harry down to lay beside them on the bed._

 _"Yeah until she tried to free everyone's elves." Harry let out an amused snort and shook his head fondly, wrapping his arm securely around the sleeping witch's naked torso._

 _"No one would have crossed her, she's right nasty when vexed. Sent Pugsy crying many times." Malfoy smirked as his eyes grew distant, obviously thinking of the encounter._

Hermione awoke in a large bed in Potter Manor with tears in her eyes. Quickly, she extracted the dream with her wand to put into a phial before it faded. Casting a quick tempus she found it was only half 3 in the morning but she couldn't go back to sleep now. Today her parents were coming to sit with the Potters and Alphard Black to arrange an official betrothal contract. Staring at the phial in her hand, her stomach turned, thinking about the trio who looked only a couple years older than herself. She thought maybe she should review the dream again but that only made her stomach clench painfully. So, she started to make a list.

1\. They never spoke of Mya Evans in her dreams.

2\. Research Merlins Rite Ritual.

3\. 'Mione is short for her Hermione? Find Hermione Granger.

4\. Muggles apparently wiped out the magical population?

5\. Remus didn't find his mate? Werewolves have more than one mate?

6\. 'Mione killed Voldemort. (Vial 35)

7\. James and Lily apparently get married. Have a boy named Harry.

8\. Timeline erased? Is this the future?

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. I don't really have an excuse but I'll be updating regularly again.


	49. Chapter 49

Hermione sighed, looking down at her list with a frown. She still had not told her sister about her dreams of Lily and James's son, Harry. After scaring James so badly she didn't want to make her sisters worry, especially with Lily's territorial werewolf boyfriend. Making up her mind, she silently made her way to James's room, finding him awake and pacing, muttering to himself. He looked anxious, running his hands through his messy black hair.

"Are you alright?" Hermione said softly as she approached him. James jumped and turned on her, his hazel eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah, just nervous about today." James chuckled sheepishly as his shoulders relaxed and he sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Oh? Are you having second thoughts?" Hermione asked nervously, moving to sit on one of the empty wingback chairs but James reached out and pulled her into his lap.

"No! Nothing like that, just I'll be turning 17 soon...more responsibility, impending marriage, graduating next year. Where did time go?" James smiled, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist. He noticed her stiffen when he said time and he looked at her curiously.

"Should we get Sirius? We all will be married, maybe we should talk about this together?" Hermione whispered against his chest, taking a deep breath to relax herself.

"Yeah, I'll get him, you stay here." James forced a cheery smile on his face and kissed her soundly on the mouth before leaving her in a daze. Hermione looked around the spacious room curiously, she had never been in James's room alone alone. The few times she had been there, it was only for a moment before one or both of her boyfriends dragged her off to the library or to fly. His room was a typical teenage wizards room with quidditch posters and lots of pictures. Most of the photos included all their friends from Gryffindor, most recent ones were of James, Hermione, and Sirius together. The largest she found was framed beside his bed, Hermione with her wand trained on James and Sirius. She studied the photo carefully, it was taken probably in second year, Hermione looked ready to murder them while the boys had identical cocky smiles on their faces.

"It's my favorite, the first one of the three of us together." James said softly in her ear, making her jump and the frame slipped from her fingers. James snatched it quickly from the air before it fell to the ground.

"Don't do that!" Hermione hissed shoving him away, her cheeks blossoming with color after being caught.

"What? Save my favorite picture from being destroyed by my cruel intended?" James snorted as he placed the photo back in its place on the table, taking a moment to adjust it just as it had been.

"Oh, I remember that day. We washed Snivelly's hair and you threatened to bat bogey us." Sirius yawned as he stumbled closer and scratched his stomach, exposing a trail of dark hair that lead down to his loose cotton pants. Hermione scoffed, remembering how they charmed a bucket and mop to follow her former best friend to scrub him down throughout the day but kept her mouth closed.

"So, James, you wanted to talk?" Hermione asked, changing the subject quickly as she side stepped them to sit on the bed.

"I dunno, just nervous, I suppose. In a few months I'll be of age, betrothed to the most beautiful girl in the world...just thinking about life after school." James muttered sheepishly, looking between them with an embarrassed smile.

"Take it from me, who is already an adult. It's not much different, yet. After we graduate, we will be married in some ridiculous ceremony because it will make mum happy, move into the manor or buy a smaller home for us...have children." Sirius leered at Hermione before falling back on the bed beside her, resting his head on his first lied arms.

"Will we work? Where will we live? Do we want some pretentious pureblood bonding ceremony? How many children do we want? Who's bed will Mya sleep in? All together? Separate rooms? Who will be a father first? Who's last name will the children have or Mya for that matter?" James rambled as he paced in front of the bed. Hermione and Sirius shared and incredulous look before Sirius sat up and grabbed James's forearm.

"James, calm down. It's alright, we have the rest of our lives to work it out." Hermione said soothingly as she pulled him onto the bed beside her. "This isn't like you, normally, you are a go with the flow kind of wizard. I'm the high strung one."

"Yeah, Prongsie, you were bouncing off the walls excited yesterday." Sirius said as he patted his leg.

"I had a dream...it freaked me out. We were all fighting, Mya threw potatoes at us, the children looked like Snivellus...so many mini Snivelluses" James shuddered in disgust as Sirius and Hermione chuckled.

"I can assure you our children will look nothing like Sev-Snape...and I will refrain from throwing potatoes...most of the time. I can't guarantee we will never fight though, we fight now. You both drive me spare." Hermione smiled softly as she laced her fingers with James's, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Ugh, sorry I missed that. I was stuck with the mental image of miniature Snivellys with red hair running around." Sirius shook his head sharply to try and rid himself of such images, making James laugh as he fell back heavily on the bed.

"So, what are you doing up, Mya?" James asked curiously, pulling her down to lay beside him.

"Um...well, I had a dream too." Hermione said nervously as she pulled the vial from her robe pocket.


	50. Chapter 50

Luckily James's father had a large pensieve in the family library so the trio watched the memory four times before either boy would release Hermione from their clutches. James looked down at her with a determined expression on his face, whether it was from once again hearing that he would marry and have a child with Lily or the disturbing glimpse into the future of the wizarding world, Hermione wasn't sure. Sirius ignored the pair, pacing back and forth while he chewed his thumb, deep in thought.

"They couldn't be talking about the Rite of Merlin?" Sirius whispered incredulously, looking up with a frown.

"No idea, I've had a few dreams where they talk of sacrifices and rituals...but they're hard to remember most of the time. I have to write it all down or look back at the memories." Hermione said anxiously as she stared down at her feet with interest.

"Well, if they have the Black library at their disposal, I'm sure that's what their talking about." Sirius shifted his feet uncomfortably, staring at the pensieve as if it insulted him somehow.

"Why do you say that about the Black library?" James asked cautiously, snapping his fingers to draw Sirius's attention back to them.

"They were in Reggie's room." Sirius sighed as he sat down heavily on the sofa, rubbing his hands over his face roughly.

"Wait, so what is this rite or ritual or whatever?" Hermione asked curiously as she moved to stand in front of Sirius.

"It's...complicated. It can only be done when the fate of the magic itself hangs in the balance. It essentially creates..." Sirius trailed off looking up at Hermione with a distressed frown.

"A savior?" James offered, thinking back to the story his mother told of a savior who was born from Merlin's own essence to save magic while he moved to stand behind his girlfriend to wrap a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That's just a children's story though."

"Yes...but it's more than that. It creates a soul, usually a powerful being who can save us all as Merlin did...my mother...spoke often of claiming her rightful inheritance and completing the ritual to stop mudbloods from taking over the magical world. This doesn't mean it worked. It's been attempted many times, it's NEVER worked." Sirius said in a low voice, almost to himself as Hermione stayed silent, staring at him with pursed lips.

"What do you have to do?" James whispered, he almost didn't want to know after seeing Sirius's expression. The story always focused on a brave young wizard who delayed defeated a dark army with the power of light, he couldn't remember any ritual or sacrifices.

"You need 5 powerful magicals, they all must give themselves willingly and completely, then at the end of the ritual...the one...one of them gets sacrificed and is imbued with the power and blood of Merlin himself. It is rumored that the other 4 will die shortly after the ritual, whether by the act itself or due to the drain on their magic, no one is certain. It will combine them, using their best traits...and attributes." Sirius choked on is words as he stared resolutely at the floor.

"How would they know? No one has ever achieved it before?" Hermione asked quietly, fidgeting as James stared at her as if never seeing her before.

"Walburga said every attempt has ended in the casters' deaths. The world they described though...the ritual was devised by Merlin to save magic because he feared muggles would one day try to wipe us out. He was among the same thinking of Slytherin, take the children at birth, close ourselves off from the threat." Sirius sighed wearily as he finally looked up at his pale girlfriend.

"So, if this is what they did...I'm a product of dark magic?" Hermione gasped as she brought her hands up to cover her mouth, her eyes welled with tears as she looked to James, who made his hatred of dark magic known.

"I don't know, I don't know...the magic is considered dark but is it really?" James asked slowly, unable to meet her gaze.

"Umm, human sacrifices. Don't know how much darker you can get." Hermione snapped harshly as she took a step away from them, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.

"Yes, willing sacrifices in the hopes of creating something better. Mya, you know you're not dark, vindictive...sometimes, maybe a tad violent but your not evil." James said softly as he reached out to her, only for Hermione to jerk away from him.

"You...I've had these dreams for so long. It makes a lot of sense, Luna was a seer, 'Mione was apparently a genius, I think there were some quidditch players...the red head, I think he called himself a prankster...even the way I move, my parents always said I was different from the moment I could crawl. I'm not supposed to be here, I wasn't here and you married Lily." Hermione rambled as she pulled at her hair, at the thought of her sister, her eyes widened and she froze. "How can I tell Lily?"

"Hey, this might not be what it is. We can search the libraries, I'll ask mum, we will find out. Even if it is, it doesn't change anything." Sirius whispered as he got to to his feet and reach out to embrace her but again she flinched away from him.

"It changes everything." Hermione into her hands as she ran from the room as fast as she could.


	51. Chapter 51

Hermione decided that it was time for full disclosure, not that she had much of a choice when faced with her wizards and sisters. Lily offered her a gentle smiled before rushing off to grab the sturdy leather bag filled with smoky phials. Every vivid dream she was plagued with in the previous months. She would allow her boyfriends and sisters to see them, seeing as she already viewed the memories enough to have them permanently burned to her mind. It hurt, even though she knew logically she didn't know these people. It was like they were hers, since childhood. Only she knew how Professor Snape could make his robes stiffly billow out behind him dramatically or how the 'Mione of her dreams sang in Gaelic, of all things, under her breath when she was nervous. What terrified her was to have them discover the empty shadows that were Remus and Sirius. It took them over an hour to view the critical memories she placed aside.

"So, I married Potter?!" Lily squeaked, staring at James in horror. They gaped at each other, all of the color drained from her face. "But what about Remus?"

"We don't know...obviously things are different. I obviously didn't marry that walrus you saw at the station." Petunia grumbled in displeasure, there was only one memory with her, she assumed 'future' self, in it and it was incredibly vague. The bushy haired witch followed Harry through the barrier to find Petunia standing beside an obese Vernon Dursley and a very hefty boy stuffing his face. It disturbed the health conscious woman, even though that older Petunia resembled a horse she could still see herself in that bitter bitch. How could she ever turn out that way? Why did she allow her son to wear such a frightful uniform in public and dribble chippie sauce all over his orange knickerbockers and maroon tailcoat? Who chose such a gastly uniform?

"What the hell happened to that Petunia though? Did you see her? She looked absolutely dreadful." Lily demanded before attaching herself to Petunia's arm, a look of disgust on her face.

"I don't want to know but it's obvious that I will never marry Vernon Dursley so...things are different now. I would like to think these are just the end results of a lot of bad choices." Petunia blanched, wishing she could erase the vision of her eyes watching her own nephew with nothing but hatred and jealousy.

"Obviously, but did you see my hair?" Sirius shuddered dramatically as he ran a hand through his silky, shaggy raven locks. It was one thing to hear vague descriptions but watching the skeletal figure that was obvious Sirius Black made his skin crawl.

"Yes, Pads let's focus on the real important issues here. Good thing you're here to keep up grounded." James scoffed with a roll of his eyes as he draped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. He felt her burrow into the safety of his arms and could almost hear her brain processing their opinions. "Tosser."

"You're welcome." His snippy reply was muffled by his shaggy hair that he stroked lovingly.

"Anyone notice that Peter was never present?" Hermione asked hesitantly, biting her lip as she looked at her twin with a pointed glare.

"Yeah, what do you think that means?" James asked curiously, something tickled in the back of his mind.

"No idea, but you never see James or Lily because they were...dead." Hermione trailed off uneasily, purposely avoiding the wizards' gaze.

"Maybe you just won't be friends after school? After all, Mya has never liked him." Petunia shrugged indifferently, sitting heavily on the bed with her head cradled in her hands.

There was silence in the room as James and Sirius both stared at Hermione for confirmation. The redhead in question studied her nails before Sirius cleared his throat and asked sharply, "Why is that?"

"I've tried to be nice but...I can't explain it. He makes my skin crawl, even as the hapless first year." Hermione shrugged helplessly, unable to articulate the exactly what the shortest marauder made her feel.

"He is a bit helpless." James stated dismissively, nodding his head in understanding.

"No, it's more than that. She hates him, subconsciously, deep down loathes Peter Pettrigew." Lily said forcefully, her lips pinched together in a tight line as she stared at the rune covered basin resentfully. Her hands balled into tight fists at her sides as she remembered all the times that her sister would hover while Lily attempted to tutor the boy. "The only others she's ever hated on sight were people like Sirius's mother or Lucius Malfoy."

"How would you like to explain to your boyfriend the very sight of his best mate makes you want to rip his throat out and feed him to the acromantula colony in the forest." Hermione asked dryly when Sirius and James continued to watch her expectantly.

"Acro-what?" James gaped as he pulled away from her with wide eyes.

"Giant carnivorous spiders." Lily drawled but turned to her sister with sudden interest. "They have a colony in the forbidden forest?" She squealed in excitement, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of wonder and disgust.

"Off topic. Mya, have you always hated Peter?" Sirius snapped impatiently with a neutral mask in place.

"Now, he decides to do his job." James grumbled in an attempt to soothe his best friend's temper but he was ignored.

"From the moment I've met him. I've never dreamed of him...well, not that I remember." Hermione said slowly, toying with her necklace. They realized it was a nervous habit, clutching either of her betrothal gifts appeared to calm her.

"So, you don't know what he does or even if he was a part of the happenings in this future? Maybe it was just you know Peter...he does have a way with the ladies that leaves them all feeling thoroughly squeamish." James said lightly with a tight smile. Lily and Petunia exchanged an uneasy glance before turning back to Hermione expectantly.

"Yeah, that may be it but I've also never hated someone as much as I've hated Peter." Hermione sighed sadly. "Not even that Russian bloke we met in Diagon Alley, Doluv or something...I didn't even need an introduction and I just knew he was right twisted."

"It's just Wormy, he's harmless." James laughed, tightening his grip on her shoulders to pull her into his side.

"Alright, let's talk about this savior? I think that's a bit more important." Sirius mumbled uncomfortably, thinking of what he heard the Evans girls say over the summer about listening to Hermione's instincts. He would definitely be keeping a closer eye on his dorm mate.

"No idea, hopefully these dreams will help me figure it out. If you two want to back out of the betrothal, I'll understand. These are all the dreams I've had for the last few months so you know pretty much what I know in detail...anyway." Hermione sighed dejectedly as she leaned away from James, only for his arm to drop possessively to her waist. After taking a deep, cleansing breath she looked up at James hopefully.

"You're not getting out of this. We may not know what this is but we can figure out more of this Merlins Rite shite after we finish the paperwork for the betrothal. Then, together, we can make a plan. We're with you, Mya." James said earnestly as Sirius came to sit on Hermione's other side and nudge her with his shoulder.

"You know, we don't even know this is the future. It could be her subconscious warping-" Petunia started but Sirius waved her off with an impatient hand gesture.

"She's a seer." James stated bluntly, his words holding a traces of concern and bite but he carried on, tracing soothing patterns on her hip. "Very little is actually documented about them then to add in this ritual..."

Lily apparently needed comfort too because she pulled Hermione from between her wizards and sat her down on the bed beside her. "I don't care what she is, none of it matters since it obviously won't happen. I would much rather shag the giant squid than..."

"Real nice Evans." James sneered, turning his nose up in the air haughtily. "I'll have you know-"

"Come on, let's get some sleep, big day tomorrow." Petunia shook her head in vexation and looked at her watch. She roughly pushed the twins beneath the sheets before shooing the Wizards away.

"Yeah, I guess. Sweet dreams ladies." James sighed as he leaned forward to kiss Hermione on the cheek before hauling Sirius from the room.

"I love you both so much. I'm sorry you have to deal with this." Hermione sighed sadly as Petunia crawled into bed on the opposite side so she was sandwiched between her sisters.

"We love you, never doubt that. No matter how you came to be, you are always an Evans." Petunia whispered softly while she pushed the hair from Hermione's face, she could feel Lily nodding in agreement as they huddled together and fell into an easy sleep.


	52. Chapter 52

The day passed in a haze for Hermione, she just couldn't focus on the negotiations, which were long and tedious. The adults handled all the details while the teenagers sat quietly, speaking only when spoken to directly. Her mother dragged her out of the room twice to ask yet again if all this magical contract nonsense was really what she wanted. Harold Evans was most leery about the idea of signing any documents that tied his daughter to two wizards but was slightly mollified when the barrister informed him that Hermione could step out of the agreement at any time. In fact, Hermione's parents weren't really needed as most of the tedious arguing was between the Potters and Alphard Black. Ivy and Harold Evans felt like they stepped through time as they listened to others negotiate over vaults and properties.

James was set to inherit everything of the Potter name while Sirius was technically next in line to head the Black family, it was complicated by his mother blasting him off the tapestry. Orion died sometime during the summer before Walburga attempted to disown her oldest son. Technically, she could not block him from his Black inheritance but Sirius's mother was throwing plenty of obstacle his way just by living. Walburga Black was not legally or magically obligated to turn over the estate until her oldest son's twenty first birthday. Until that time she could in theory attempt to magically bind him with alliances or even betrothals. Alphard Black had been busy since hearing about his cousin's attempt at disowning her oldest son, trying to seal any loopholes Walburga could use against Sirius.

Hermione was still focused on the reactions of those she loved most, Sirius and James would look at her with concern when the parents would focus on the papers in front of them. Even though she was obviously a product of dark magic, who wasn't even supposed to be alive, her sisters and her wizards somehow accepted her. She just couldn't wrap her head around it, James Potter was vehemently against any kind of dark magic and Sirius Black wanted to separate himself from his family roots. Yet, they both adamantly agreed to signing their lives away to her. As soon as all the signatures were dry, they joined her sisters in the library.

"So, I'm a bit confused what you're actually supposed to do, Mya?" Lily said bluntly as she laid her head down on the table in front of her using a heavy, dusty tome as a pillow.

"No idea, from what I can gather life was pretty miserable in the future and I mean...it would have to be bad for this to work, right?" Hermione scowled when she picked up the notes Petunia had been writing. Her sisters had somehow drawn out a pretty detailed timeline from the memories she left. Which surprised her seeing as at least sixty percent of the phials were just 'Mione, Harry, and Draco in bed.

"Well, according to legends, the savior is always provided with the knowledge and ability to do what is required. So just give it time." Sirius said in a soothing voice as he lounged across the sofa with his arms behind his head. Hermione scowled while her bright eyes raked over her body, as if his calm demeanor personally offended her.

"Who's to say she needs to do anything? Maybe the threat will work itself out. Look how much the future has changed already! It would be much safer for Mya not get involved in whatever this is." Petunia said firmly with a decisive nod. "Especially, with some crazed wannabe dark lord running around."

"Oh, please, Tuney. Like that will happen. Voldemort is having his little groupies kill muggles! You know Britain cannot sustain a war between magical and muggle." Lily scoffed as she closed the large book with an audible snap.

"I know that but we have a a nest egg saved up, we can leave. From what Amelia told me, he's a scary bloke." Petunia pursed her lips, leaning back in her chair with her arms over her chest stubbornly. She glanced from her sisters to the wizards attempting to appear nonchalant and unaffected. Not that James and Sirius were actually necessary in her plans. Her sisters were only sixteen and if their parents were informed of just how dangerous the magical world was, Petunia was positive that the Evans would be going abroad.

However, inside she was shaking. Hermione and Lily were hers, all of the information they were looking over lead her to the belief that this dark lord would try to take them away. She remembered when she was very small and her parents always told her that the twins were hers to look after. Of course, she wasn't very interested in babies unless they were her dollies. It wasn't until she was five that some strange man tried to take them away that Petunia became the protective big sister she was. Her mother left them alone for just a moment to speak to an old friend in the market when some man wearing a robe tried to take the pram with her twin sisters. The five year old had only turned her back to a second to make sure her dollie was comfortable in her own miniature pram when she saw him moving away. Petunia screamed at the top of her lungs and ran at the stranger, attracting the attention of just about every adult with twenty meters.

"Never knew you to be a coward." James sneered as he sat beside Hermione with an arm wrapped possessively around her shoulders. Petunia shook her head to clear those thoughts before instantly turning on him with a glare.

"It's not cowardly to want my sisters safe. If Mya was to be pulled in some fight or war I would be right beside her. However, right now she has a choice. We can use her visions and try to help as much as we can and hide, we could flee the country and never look back, or we could all be reckless Gryffindors about it and rush in without looking at all the angles." Petunia said slowly in her most condescending tone, her blue eyes focused on James. Her lips pulled up into a smug smirk as his shoulders slump and he pulled her sister into his lap.

"Well, when you put it like that." James grumbled, looking down at the table with a frown. Sirius hopped up from the sofa and patted him on the shoulder with a small smile.

"What do you want, Mya?" Sirius asked, making the redhead look up with wide eyes.

"Not be this savior thing, not be a seer, not be the product of human sacrifice." Hermione snapped after a moment of thought, her face scrunched up in disgust as she glared at the notes in front of her. "To be normal and fretting about this betrothal, to talk about Tuney's love of Sid Vicious or Lily's ridiculous feet envy...but I guess, I don't have a choice. A few bloody witches and wizards got together and decided they didn't want to the problem anymore and killed themselves!"

They all stared at her in shock, Sirius moved to put a comforting hand on her arm while James wrapped himself around her securely and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "Hey, it's not like there's anything to do now and we will be with you every step of the way."


	53. Chapter 53

Back at school Hermione could almost pretend that she was not the product of a dark ritual that sacrificed 5 people. She hid away from everyone and buried herself in school work. Her sister and the marauders tried to give her space, only dragging her out of the library to eat or go to bed at night. Remus was given a brief explanation but Lily regretfully informed him that they just didn't know what the Yuletide revelations meant. Amelia, however, refused to leave her table no matter how many times she was snapped at and asked to leave.

"Look, I don't know what's with you but you have to see that you're hurting them." Amelia hissed in frustration after nearly a week of those Gryffindors hastily changing the subject when Hermione's moodiness came up in conversation.

"I don't know what your talking about. I'm studying for exams." Hermione huffed, not bothering to look up from the charms book in her hands.

"You can lie to me all you want but don't lie to yourself. Something happened over hols. James and Sirius aren't running around like the berks they are, Lily only comes to the library at curfew, you haven't smiled in days." Amelia said in a quiet but firm tone, placing her hand over Hermione's book. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but you've got to stop hiding."

"Listen...I can't.." Hermione's voice cracked as she stared at the pale hand blocking the words. It was the only thing that drowned out the constant thoughts, her nightmares were worse than ever and she didn't even bother to save them anymore. All she wanted to do was forget.

"Whatever it is...is it really worth you not living your life?" Amelia asked quietly and reached for Hermione's hand, gently pulling at her fingers to loosen her clenched fist.

"Ami...what if...I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't meant to be born...if I told you it was dark magic that was my very reason for being." Hermione whispered, staring down at her lap. When she attempted to pull her hand away the Hufflepuff refused to let go.

"Are you practicing the dark arts?" Amelia said slowly with an arched brow, tapping her palm in an attempt to force Hermione to meet her concerned gaze,

"No...I mean, I've learned about them and I seem to have an unhealthy knowledge of them but..." Hermione faltered as she looked up to find Amelia looking at her with so much compassion. The redhead felt her eyes get misty with traitorous tears and she sniffed.

"Are you planning on being the next dark lady or running in the halls torturing first years? Maybe leading your reign with an army of house elves and idiot marauders...although, your older sister could definitely put the fear of Merlin into some of those death eaters." Amelia pressed seriously, almost cracking a smile at the mental image of her only muggle friend on a tirade.

Hermione's head snapped up at she stared at her friend for a moment before bursting into laughter. "No! What the fuck, Ami?!"

"Then obviously dark magic is not your reason for being. I mean, a lot of people want to put a label on magic but...it's all about intent. It's all magic and its up to the user to decide what they are. My mother used blood magic when she was pregnant. She suffered so many miscarriages that she just wanted to make sure I lived...does that make me a product of dark magic? After all, I probably wouldn't be here if she hadn't done it." Amelia whispered softly, Hermione was silent for a moment before launching herself across the table to pull her into a tight hug. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that but the redhead felt like she a small weight was taken from her shoulders.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered into her hair, giving the Hufflepuff another squeeze. As she rested her chin on Amelia's shoulder, she noticed Severus watching her closely. His obsidian eyes were filled with regret and concern. For a brief moment she considered going to talk to him but quickly squashed that thought. He was no longer her friend, no longer the boy in silly silk shirts that poured over crumbling tomes in their attic and made snarky comments.

-0-

"You know, Snape, those mudbloods are looking quite delicious these days." Nott said airily as he watched his house mate staring down one of the infamous twins. Their friendship through the first five years of Hogwarts bemused some of Slytherin while somehow personally insulted the rest. Severus shrugged noncommittally, turning back to his work. "Your spell creations have been a real hit at the revels. He is getting very interested in meeting you."

"I hope to meet him this summer." Severus said quietly, not taking his eyes off his work. Inside he was vibrating with excitement, it was no question just who his housemate was talking about. He was never mentioned by name but it was a rite of passage for the most talented Slytherins to meet him.

"I know, Ruddy has been raving about that slashing hex. Even showed him what you did to that mudblood last year." Nott's grin was feral while he pretended not to notice the sudden paleness to Severus's sunken cheeks. It was so easy to rile the potions prodigy.

"Too bad she was healed." Severus whispered, tasting bile on his tongue and his eyes traveled to Hermione laughing with the Hufflepuff. He forced himself to look back at his books before his housemate noticed. It was never a good idea to let a Slytherin know your weakness.

"Yes, I didn't know there was a counter...I was under the impression you created it." Nott pressed eagerly, leaning close with an expectant look on his face.

"I did but I'm not quite sure how My-I never came up with a counter." Severus said dismissively with a shrug of his shoulders. He never questioned Hermione's uncanny ability to just know things, if anything he exploited it in their youth. It was one of the many things he missed about their friendship, she was always so patient and kind to him.

"Clever little bitch, I've so been dying to hear her screams. We've been hoping to have twins on the menu at the next revel. Hopefully, you can finish what you started." Nott chuckled darkly as he clapped him on the shoulder. He leaned close so that Severus could feel his hot breath on the shell of his ear as he cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Oh, look it that. Seems like Red misses her snake."

"Wha-?" Severus's head snapped up to find Hermione's emerald eyes staring at him again, for just a moment he could have sworn he saw her features soften. However, it was so brief that in a blink of his eyes she was back to glaring at him harshly. His heart stuttered in his chest and he viciously willed himself to remain unaffected.

"Hmmm, maybe you can get her down to the dungeons...you know Reggie has been swearing up and down that she can't be a mudblood." Nott nudged him with a waggle of his brows, glancing back at Hermione and Amelia as they packed up to leave. "I think he just wants a piece of what his blood traitor brother has."

"She really is a part of a triad, isn't she?" Severus asked bitterly as he turned away from sixth year girls walking arm in arm. His heart twisted painfully in his chest every time he saw one of the girls in the halls. Even when he saw those idiotic marauders leaping to their defense, he still couldn't suppress the longing to be the one fit snugly between the twins. That was his place suddenly filled by his tormentors.

"Never been heard of a mudblood in a triad before...think you could do it, though? We could finally see how dirty her blood really is." Nott smiled cruelly as he leaned back in his chair to watch Severus's reaction.

"I doubt we could get her away from her beloved fiancés." Severus bit out through clenched teeth, feeling the jealousy and hatred boiling inside him as he thought of Potter and Black constantly draped over his childhood friend.

"Well, she's been locking herself away from them for weeks now. It will definitely show our housemates who's side you're really on...and I can win that little bet with Reggie. I just know her blood is thick with mud." Nott sneered as he started to pack away his books, missing Severus's quill snap in his clenched fist. Severus had been watching too and he didn't like what he found. The four Gryffindor sixth years were up to something and he was determined to find out what. Hopefully, it would be enough to win back what he threw away in a fit of rage.

-0-0-0-

I've had a shit day. To make up for it and apologize for the super long wait.

double update.


	54. Chapter 54

_Hermione smiled as she looked around the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. It was bright and alive, more so than she could even remember. She watched with a beaming grin as children ran past toward a large new shop, WWW? It was bright orange and purple, Hermione scanned the windows with interest. It appeared to be a huge joke shop, there was even a display of plushie death eaters in the windows! It appeared to her that at least something was right with the future, finally._

 _Suddenly the street was filled with thick smoke and hysterical screams. Gunfire echoed off the buildings and Hermione ran as quickly as she could for cover. It wasn't until she saw Harry and Draco running forward with a group of teenagers that she realized that she was dreaming. Looking towards the Leaky Cauldron she saw at least three dozen people with assault rifles and heavy black armor. She was momentarily confused until she remember that they snuck into the Alley at only ten with a thirteen year old muggle. Spells were being deflected off shields and the wizards and witches were being shot down or tackled to the ground and carted off. Muggles had invaded Diagon Alley._

 _"Bombarda MAXIMA" Draco screamed aiming his wand at the street in front of the muggles. Before her eyes the cobblestone road of Diagon Alley was but a cloud of dust and the armored muggles were flying through the air. 'Mione ran out from a store, two small children clinging to her skirt._

 _"We have to get out! The wards are down and I can't find anyone." 'Mione coughed into her hand as Draco grabbed onto her._

 _"We'll take them to the burrow." Harry said decisively, ignoring her outstretched hand to pick the youngest redheaded child. Hermione was quick to follow along while they seemingly abandoned the fight. Behind her more armored muggles were filing in through the broken portal. Wizards and witches of all ages were lying in the street, crying out for help only to be roughly captured and dragged away._

 _"But...Gin was right behind me." 'Mione's voice cracked as she hurried along behind them. The child on her hip hid her face in bushy brown curls while Draco kept a right arm around her waist._

 _"It's like you said, we need to get out. I don't know how the muggles did it but we need to leave. " Draco sighed, casting a worried glance back at the street. More gunfire was heard as Hermione followed the group into the joke shop._

 _"Mummy!" Cried the little girl in Harry's arms. Her face was stained with tears and her small body was wracked with sobs as she shook hysterically. Harry tried to console her, running his hands through her hair._

 _"Do you think what they said about the labs is true?" 'Mione asked quietly when they reached the fireplace. They walked right past a pretty witch with blue hair that was frantically waving her wand to reinforce the wards._

 _"I don't think Dudley would lie. I mean, the first decent thing he's ever done for his only cousin. I say we pack up and move to Black island. Fuck Britain. Fuck these wars. Fuck all of it. I don't want to fight again." Draco whispered harshly as he continued staring out the window. His grey eyes were hard as he watched the muggles dragging witches and wizards out of the shops, goblins were throwing customers onto the steps. Hermione couldn't believe what she was witnessing, she and her sisters always agreed that the magical community would be trampled if they ever angered the muggles._

 _"What about everyone else?" 'Mione hissed as Harry disappeared in burst of green flames with the little blonde girl in his arms._

 _"Let them come. I don't care. We are all orphans, as long as we live to see our wedding day I don't give a fuck." Draco snapped as he roughly grabbed her around the waist to pull her into the fireplace with him._

-0-

Hermione sighed sadly while she recorded the fading remnants of her dream after carefully bottling it. Amelia was right, it would be fruitless to simply sit idly by while the world continued on around them. She was lucky to have such devoted people in her life and that Hogwarts wasn't equipped with telephones. Petunia had sent three harsh letters, but her words simply didn't have the same effect they would in person. Lily idly wondered if it was possible to charm the parchment for howlers so that their older sister would have the capability to really get her point across in the future. A shiver of dread went down her spine when she saw the gleam in her twins' eye. The fierce look of determination and mischief promised she would find a way and nothing could stop Lily Evans when she had a project in mind.

"'Lo gorgeous." James smiled brightly and immediately got down to his knees when Hermione and Lily descended the stairs with their bags filled to bursting with their books for the day. "'Fraid Pad had to take poor Moonpie to see the Great Gorgon of the Infirmary. So, it'll just be me to escort the lov-"

Lily cut off James long winded dramatics, even knocking her sister out of the way when she reached out to give her boyfriend his good morning kiss. James immediately scrambled to his feet, not wanting to be at the disadvantage when it came to an Evans witch. Her emerald eyes narrowed dangerously and her hand was already on her wand as she stood chest to chest with the Potter Heir. "What happened? Is he alright? Is he sick? Did he-What. Did. You. Do?"

"Blimey!" James took a few hurried steps back with his hands in the air with wide eyes. Hermione just sighed impatiently, rubbing her growling stomach. "He's fine, moon's tonight."

Lily's entire demeanor relaxed and she let out a breath of relief before she raised her wand to his nose. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"Lils." Hermione rolled her eyes and reached out to force her sister's wand arm down in exasperation. "I like his face so if you could not hex him where it will show? You know he'll just blame it on me to get sympathy."

"Oi!" James exclaimed, his hazel eyes wide as he turned to his girlfriend with an incredulous expression. "You should be defending my honor! You know, challenging her to a du- you like my face?"

Unfortunately, Lily was not amused by the besotted grin on James Potter's face as he lunged past her to grab Hermione. "Merlin's lacy knickers! Could you just tell m-"

"What all this yelling for?" A deep voice cut her off and she turned to find Remus standing in the portrait hole with a raised brow. Sirius bounded past him, looking first to the frustrated Lily to where James had Hermione wrapped in his arms giving her an enthusiastic morning greeting.

"Grrroup hug!" Sirius exclaimed, rushing forward and smashing Lily into the oblivious couple, sending them all onto the plush sofa. It wasn't long before Lily disentangled herself so that she could launch herself at Remus, leaving the trio to greet each other behind them.

"Are you alright?" Lily whispered urgently, her delicate hands fluttering over his scarred cheeks. Her bright eyes counted each one, not finding any new while her boyfriend was frozen been amusement and confusion. Although, there was an uncommon warmth that spread through his chest at her gentle touches.

"I'm fine." Remus stated soothingly, capturing her small hands between his own and pulling her to his chest. He rested his chin on her head and watched as somehow James and Hermione pinned Sirius to the sofa and were concentrating on mussing his perfect hair.

"I just worry and bloody Potter didn't help, being the bloody to-" Lily fumed when she was once again cut off.

"What did I miss?" Peter's voice cut through the laughter and chatter of the common room. The smallest of the sixth year boys looked between his best friends and the Evans twins with a frown.

While Sirius had whole heartedly taken the advice of his betrothed and distanced himself from the fourth marauder. Remus and James were not quite so quick to just cut ties from their friend and dorm mate of six years. Peter worshipped the ground James walked on while making sure that Remus always had a stash of chocolate frogs after the moon. The Black Heir learned from birth to trust his instincts and Hermione's instincts had saved not only his life but maybe his adoptive parents as well. If James and Remus weren't ready to accept it than Sirius would just need to make sure he was extra vigilant for the boys he considered his brothers.

"The usual Wormy." James flashed him a bright, lopsided smile before gesturing with his head to join them. "Trying to figure out the magic of Paddie's hair."


	55. Chapter 55

"Evans!" Professor McGonagall barked, silencing the entire great hall when they took in her disheveled state. The twins immediately stood, along with their boyfriends when the professor simply raised her hand motioning for them to join her.

"Yes, Professor?" They asked in unison, disturbed at seeing their normally strict and well put together professor in distress.

"Just you girls." Professor McGonagall sighed sadly, placing a hand on each of the girl to lead the towards the headmasters office. Before they could question her further, she noticed the four boys following them and scowled. "Get to class."

"Are we in trouble, Professor?" Lily's voice broke through the sudden tense atmosphere. The marauders continued to follow behind them, all four wizards staring back at their head of house with playful, easy smiles.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention for the four of you if you do no relocate yourselves to the charms corridor immediately." Professor McGonagall huffed impatiently, making herself a firm barrier between the twins and the four mischievous wizards.

"Now, Minnie." Sirius started smoothly, a charming smile on his face. "If you are about to assign them their first detention ever-"

"-then we definitely want to be there-" Remus cut in, a wolffish grin on his face as he threw a casual arm over Sirius's shoulder.

"-and find out why we were not informed of their act of rebellion." James was practically vibrating with excitement as his eyes darted to the redheads.

"Yeah!" Peter exclaimed with a slightly crooked smile on his face.

"Neither of them are in trouble." Professor McGonagall snapped impatiently, once against trying to shoo the boys away. "The headmaster has requested their presence immediately, not that it's any of your concern."

Sirius's face turned red and the charming grin slipped from his lips only to be replaced with a small, cold smile. With his shoulders thrown back defiantly he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "I think you'll find that-"

"It's fine." Hermione spoke up, effectively cutting him off. There was nothing worse than seeing that look on his face. The haughty demeanor just made him resemble his brother too much.

"Yes, we'll catch up with you once we meet with the headmaster." Lily stated in a no-nonsense tone with a tight smile.

When they reached the headmaster's office, it was empty but before they could question it, their professor simply marched them to the fire place. They landed in the Leaky Cauldron to find a large group of aurors squaring off against the headmaster who was standing over an unconscious, bound Petunia Evans. Lily and Hermione didn't even think before they rushed to their disheveled older sister.

"What is going on here?" Hermione demanded loudly, flicking her wand to release the magically conjured ropes while Lily casted a silent enneverate. Petunia's eyes opened and she jerked up in a panic. Her bright blue eyes swept the room before she gathered her sisters into her arms and tried to shielded them from the wizards and witches in magenta robes.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Miss. Evans..." The headmaster's twinkling blue eyes swept over the three girls with regret, keeping himself between his students and the aurors. More people were entering the pub and the whispers broke out, many of the spectators watched Petunia Evans with thinly veiled disdain.

"What are you talking about?" Lily demanded, pushing her sisters' limbs out of her way so she could stand beside Hermione.

"Perhaps we should take this somewhere we can have a little privacy?" Albus Dumbledore asked softly, reaching out to shepard the sisters back to his office.

"So, you can mess with my memories?" Petunia shouted, catching the attention of the entire pub while she pulled her sisters away. "I'll be taking them with m-"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, they are technically now wards of the school." The headmaster stated gently, folding his hands in front of himself regretfully but his words made the twins freeze.

"Wards?" Lily and Hermione repeated incredulously, looking to their older sister for clarification. Petunia's eyes clouded with tears and her arms wrapped around each of the girls' slender shoulders a little more tightly.

"I would have like to tell them in the privacy of our own home, Headmaster." Petunia sneered haughtily, her blue eyes flashing angrily as she swallowed down the grief she felt bubbling in her throat. "Since I'm an adult and our paren-"

"Mum?" Lily cried out weakly.

"Dad?" Hermione asked softly, tears welling up in her bright emerald eyes.

Petunia ignored them both for now, not taking her eyes off the headmaster and the aurors shuffling awkwardly behind him. "I will be taking my sisters home with me, we have...funeral to plan. I know our parents already had their affairs in order so I would ga-"

"Your sisters are witches and since you're a muggle, you can't possibly think you would be their guardian." One of the aurors spoke out incredulously, rubbing his balding head while he shared a glance with the man beside him.

"If you think you're going to take my sisters from me, you've obviously taken too many reductos to skull." Petunia spat, dragging the weeping girls away from the headmaster and aurors. Just as Albus Dumbledore took a step forward to join them, the floo erupted, ejecting a furious Charlus Potter.

"What is the meaning of this?" The head Auror thundered while he stalked forward with his ebony and dragon heartstring wand in hand. "Why have I just received notice that the sister of my sons' betrothed is to be obliviated of all knowledge of the magical world?"

With a few deft flicks of his wand, a transparent yellow dome appeared around them. A greying wizard with a handlebar mustache stepped forward with a sneer. "Auror Potter, sir. This muggle came into the Leaky, causing a scene and demanding physical custody of witches still in Hogwarts. Obviously, we co-"

"Auror Selwyn, were you aware that this young woman was visiting with my family for Yuletide this year?" Charlus raised a superior brow as he placed himself directly in front of the Evans girls. "Or that her sister is betrothed to the Heir of House Potter?"

Several of the aurors appeared alarmed and threw panicked glances at Auror Selwyn. Even the headmaster raised his bushy silver brows in the redhead's direction. Not that she noticed, Hermione and Lily were too busy holding their older sister tightly and trying not to cry. Not only were these people talking like their parents were dead but even the headmaster was trying to take them away from the woman who always protected them.

"I was unaware of any betrothals." Auror Selwyn appeared to choke out the words before a thin, clearly forced smile appeared on his sweaty face. "Congratulations on finding your son a match."

"I'll be expecting a much more believable explanation in my office tomorrow morning, Selwyn." Charlus sneered, not at all convinced by the wizard's words. The rest of the aurors were quick to make their exit in their superior's heated glare and soon it was only the headmaster. "I'll be taking them to the manor, Albus."

"Might I say that I'm happy you could find such a wonderful match for your son." Albus smiled jovially while he offered his gnarled hand out to his old friend. Charlus accepted it immediately with a thin smile. "I'm only sorry that it cannot be properly celebrated in the face of such tragedy."


End file.
